Date: 2014-07-23
Speaker: JACKSON LEE (democrat)
Chamber: H

Mr. Speaker. as a senior member of the Judiciary and Homeland Security Committees. I rise in strong support of H.R. 5116. "Human Trafficking Detection Act of 2014." I support this bipartisan legislation which ensures that Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Customs and Border Protection (CBP). and other Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel the Secretary deems appropriate are trained to effectively detect. intercept. and disrupt human trafficking in a manner relevant to their professional roles and responsibilities. As the ranking member on the House Committee on Homeland Securitys Subcommittee on Border and Maritime Security. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the men and women of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency who do yeoman work on the front lines in combating human trafficking and rescuing its victims. Mr. Speaker. worldwide there are at least 20.9 million adults and children human trafficking victims living as forced lowwage workers and exploited as objects of sexual pleasure. and 1.4 million persons are victims of national and transnational sex trafficking. I have long advocated declaring unconditional war on human trafficking and I am pleased that the Homeland Security Committee is taking a leading role in this effort. The legislation before us will result in a significant enhancement of DHSs capability to combat human trafficking and does so in a way that allows the department necessary flexibility in providing training. Departmental personnel may be trained inclass or through virtual. computerbased learning programs. In either case. the training provided will include methods for: 1. identifying specific indicators of human trafficking victims and perpetrators. and 2. where appropriate. approaching victims of trafficking in a manner that is sensitive to the potential victim and includes steps to avoid alerting potential perpetrators of human trafficking. The legislation requires the Secretary to certify to the relevant committees that all described personnel have received the training. as well as submit a report to the committees on the overall effectiveness of the program. as well as the number of reported cases by DHS personnel and which of those cases were confirmed cases of human trafficking no later than one year after enactment. Mr. Speaker. trafficking in humans. and especially domestic child trafficking. has no place in a civilized society. Those who engage in this illicit trade should be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. Approximately 600.000 and 800.000 victims are moved across international borders every year and subjected to compelled service and millions more are enslaved domestically within their own countries. Mr. Speaker. Texas has one of the longest international borders in the world. a 1254 mile border it shares with Mexico. our good neighbor to the South. Texas also has a major federal highway Interstate 110 which traverses the Southern United States from the state of Florida to the state of California. Human trafficking is a problem for the United States because the U.S. State Department estimates that approximately 17.500 foreign nationals are trafficked into the United States. the largest number of people trafficked into the United States come from East Asia and the Pacific and the next highest numbers coming from Latin America and Europe. I support H.R. 5116 because it is another important tool in the national arsenal to combat and eradicate the scourge of human trafficking. I urge all of my colleagues to join me in supporting passage of H.R. 5116.