U.S. Department of State

The U.S. Department of State is a federal executive department of the United States government responsible for the country’s foreign affairs and relations. It was established in 1789 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. The department is led by the Secretary of State, who is a member of the President’s Cabinet and advises the President on foreign policy issues. The Department of State manages the country’s diplomatic missions abroad, including embassies, consulates, and missions to international organizations, and works to promote U.S. interests and values around the world. Its responsibilities include negotiating treaties and agreements, representing the U.S. in international organizations, providing support and services to U.S. citizens living or traveling abroad, and promoting democracy, human rights, and economic growth in other countries. The Department of State also plays a key role in national security and works closely with other federal agencies and departments to advance U.S. foreign policy goals.

Human trafficking is a severe and persistent problem around the world, including the United States. To address this issue, the U.S. Department of State has taken significant steps to combat human trafficking, including the creation of the Trafficking in Persons Report, which evaluates the efforts of countries to address human trafficking.

 

 

South Florida Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Offenses Against Minor Girls
| | |

South Florida Man Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Sex Trafficking Offenses Against Minor Girls

MIAMI — A 26-year-old Broward County man was sentenced today in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., by U.S. District Court Judge William P. Dimitrouleas to 30 years in prison and five years of supervised release for conspiring to traffic minor girls for commercial sex. On August 11, 2022, following a four-day trial, a federal jury found Kerby…

A Guide To Understanding Sex Trafficking & Supporting Survivors – Love What Matters
| | |

A Guide To Understanding Sex Trafficking & Supporting Survivors – Love What Matters

What is sex trafficking? Sex trafficking is the act of forcing or deceiving an individual into prostitution. Victims may be coerced into prostitution for an unknown period of time, while in other cases victims are coerced in prostitution until a debt is paid off, otherwise known as debt bondage. How does sex trafficking work? Sex…

Watson announces new program that trains businesses to identify human trafficking
|

Watson announces new program that trains businesses to identify human trafficking

JACKSON, Miss. — A new program announced Wednesday will help combat human trafficking in Mississippi. Secretary of State Michael Watson introduced Mississippi Businesses Against Trafficking, or MBAT, as a new training program for businesses. Sectors all over the state will be able to access programs for employees that will teach them the signs to look…

New initiative aims to combat human trafficking in Mississippi
|

New initiative aims to combat human trafficking in Mississippi

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – On Wednesday, Secretary of State Michael Watson (R-Miss.) announced the launch of a new initiative, Mississippi Businesses Against Trafficking (MBAT). MBAT is a statewide initiative to raise awareness and empower Mississippi businesses to combat human trafficking. The initiative is open to any business, nonprofit organization, or association in the state that…

Shared measurement in anti-trafficking coalitions
|

Shared measurement in anti-trafficking coalitions

Guest blog by Dr. Emily Wyman, Rights Lab; Patrick Munduga, ANCHOR; Esther Weir, Rights Lab The anti-trafficking sector is facing a crisis in shared measurement. The largest repository of anti-trafficking project and program evaluations highlights that low numbers of evaluations are being generated and shared publicly. Alongside this, there is a startling lack of standardization in…

The Chinese Regime Commits and Enables Human Trafficking: US State Dept Report
| | |

The Chinese Regime Commits and Enables Human Trafficking: US State Dept Report

The Chinese regime commits and enables trafficking in persons, primarily by subjecting religious and ethnic minorities to forced labor, according to the U.S. Department of State’s latest Trafficking in Persons Report. Forced labor in China is so prevalent—that it amounts to a “government policy or pattern”—conducted by Chinese Communist Party (CCP) officials at all levels,…

Justice with Jessica: Human trafficking survivors have few places to turn to for legal help – Denver 7 Colorado News
| |

Justice with Jessica: Human trafficking survivors have few places to turn to for legal help – Denver 7 Colorado News

Nearly 25 million people worldwide are victims of human trafficking at any given time, according to the U.S. Department of State. The devastation caused by human trafficking isn’t something that just goes away. If a person does escape from traffickers, they can face a lifetime of emotional trauma, along with years of legal problems that…

ATEST Recommendations to U.S. Trade Representative on Developing a Forced Labor Trade Policy
| | |

ATEST Recommendations to U.S. Trade Representative on Developing a Forced Labor Trade Policy

Terry FitzPatrick August 5, 2022 The Honorable Katherine Tai U.S. Trade Representative Washington, DC Electronic Submission to Federal eRulemaking Portal: https://www.regulations.gov Docket Number USTR–2022–0006 Re: Trade Strategy to Combat Forced Labor Dear Ambassador Tai, Thank you for your leadership in the battle against forced labor by announcing that your office will develop a Forced Labor…

HSI, IRS-CI Train German, Swiss Officials on Human Trafficking Investigative Techniques
| | |

HSI, IRS-CI Train German, Swiss Officials on Human Trafficking Investigative Techniques

As the United Nations prepares to commemorate World Day Against Trafficking in Persons July 30, a team of U.S. federal investigators from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI) are in Frankfurt, Germany, this week to train German law enforcement counterparts on the latest investigative techniques to combat human trafficking. U.S. Mission Germany hosted…

New human trafficking laws mandate signs, training to help victims – Spectrum News
| |

New human trafficking laws mandate signs, training to help victims – Spectrum News

New Yorkers will soon start to see more signs in public spaces with information about how to report human trafficking after a series of new bills were recently signed into law to help combat sex and labor trafficking. Gov. Kathy Hochul signed a package of eight bills at the end of July to require information about human trafficking…