Human Trafficking
Texas is a hub for international human trafficking because of its many busy interstate highways, international airports, countless bus stations, the shipping commerce through the Gulf of Mexico, and its shared border with Mexico.
April 28th, 2023
U.S.
January 9th, 2023
Friday, U.S.
September 30th, 2022
On the floor, I discussed my bills to support law enforcement, individuals experiencing a mental health crisis, and incarcerated Americans in need of treatment for substance abuse, all of which passed the Senate unanimously...
May 2nd, 2022
Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and I released the following statements after their Human Trafficking Survivor Tax Relief Act, which would exempt civil damages, restitution, and other monetary...
November 2nd, 2021
Together, Texas DPS, Fort Worth Police, Arlington Police, and the Department of Homeland Security successfully arrested a total of 115 men over the course of one week, many of them repeat offenders. Those arrested were...
January 11th, 2021
Our kids are hurting and even dying at staggering numbers when they do not have both parents involved equally in their lives. We must stop allowing the Family Court to contribute to this crisis and empower the Family Courts...
January 30th, 2020
This January marks a historic event—the 20th anniversary of the passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA). This bipartisan law established a framework to combat human trafficking across the...
December 12th, 2019
Yesterday, the bipartisan bill by U.S. Representatives Abigail Spanberger (VA-07) and I to ensure the intelligence community prioritizes resources to combat drug trafficking, human trafficking and human smuggling in the...
October 8th, 2019
It is shameful that we're living on planet Earth at a time when millions are trapped in slavery. It is heartbreaking that Texas is a central locus of human trafficking.
July 17th, 2019
I am proud to join my good friend and fellow former CIA officer, the gentlewoman from Virginia, Representative Spanberger, to offer this bipartisan amendment that would direct the intelligence community to prioritize...
January 31st, 2023
January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a time to spread awareness about this horrific form of modern day slavery and how we can stop it.
December 21st, 2022
Today, U.S.
June 29th, 2022
I released the following statement after at least 48 people died in an abandoned tractor trailer in San Antonio, TX, and an additional two people died later at the hospital. An additional 14 people remain at a local hospital...
January 5th, 2022
This legislation will ensure that debt accrued while being trafficked cannot continue to damage victims’ financial reputation long after the abuse has ended.
April 1st, 2021
The last thing survivors should expect is to get stuck with a bill from the IRS.
April 28th, 2020
Gov. Greg Abbott announced he will let Texas' stay-at-home order expire Thursday, April 30. Starting Friday, the first businesses allowed to open their doors at 25 percent capacity will be retail stores, restaurants, movie...
December 13th, 2019
HOUSTON, Texas — Two Texas law enforcement agencies teamed up to rescue a younger woman and a 16-year-old girl from an alleged human trafficker. The woman reports she was kidnapped, sexually assaulted, and faced forced...
November 21st, 2019
Tuesday, Courtney Litvak, a Katy, TX resident, joined Ivanka Trump, Advisor to the President,and I to discuss the prevalence of human trafficking in our communities and how to improve the way our country combats this heinous...
August 22nd, 2019
According to studies, human trafficking is a $150 billion world-wide industry and more than 300,000 Texans are entrapped in this modern-day form of slavery. Human trafficking is the 3rd largest revenue generating industry...
July 12th, 2019
Thursday, I continued my efforts to address the humanitarian crisis on our southern border by combatting drug trafficking, human trafficking and human smuggling. I was joined by fellow former CIA officer Rep. Abigail...