National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, 2021

Proclamation 10130 of December 31, 2020

National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention
Month, 2021

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Human trafficking is a horrific assault on human
dignity that affects people in the United States and
around the world. It tears apart communities, fuels
criminal activity, and threatens the national security
of the United States. During National Slavery and Human
Trafficking Prevention Month, we reaffirm our
commitment to eradicate this abhorrent evil, to support
victims and survivors, and to hold traffickers
accountable for their heinous crimes.

Tragically, through force, fraud, and coercion, human
traffickers deprive millions of victims of their
unalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of
happiness. Often referred to as ``modern slavery,''
this intolerable blight on society involves
exploitation for labor or sex and affects people of all
ages, genders, races, religions, and nationalities. As
the United States continues to lead the global fight
against human trafficking, we must remain relentless in
our resolve to dismantle this illicit and immoral
enterprise in our cities, suburbs, rural communities,
Tribal lands, and transportation networks.

My Administration has prioritized ending human
trafficking since its earliest days. As one of my first
acts as President, I instructed Federal agencies to do
what was necessary to bring human traffickers to
justice and assist survivors on their road to recovery.
Since then, United States Immigration and Customs
Enforcement, along with other Federal agencies, has
aggressively pursued these criminals, dismantling the
financial infrastructure of their networks and
arresting over 5,000 human traffickers. In 2019 alone,
Federal law enforcement agencies initiated more than
1,600 new investigations into human traffickers and the
Department of Justice's (DOJ) human trafficking task
forces opened more than 2,500 new cases on the
frontlines. At my direction, the Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) launched its new Center for Countering
Human Trafficking, which utilizes personnel from 16 DHS
components, including special agents, victim support
specialists, and intelligence research specialists, to
focus on disrupting and dismantling trafficking
organizations and providing support and protection to
victims.

A year ago, I was proud to host the White House Summit
on Human Trafficking, honoring the 20th anniversary of
the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA).
During this historic event, I signed an Executive Order
on Combating Human Trafficking and Online Child
Exploitation in the United States. Through this order,
my Administration established the first-ever White
House position focused solely on combating human
trafficking. Last year, I also released a comprehensive
National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking (NAP),
built around the ``three pillars'' of the TVPA:
prevention, protection, and prosecution. The NAP also
includes a fourth pillar which recognizes the
invaluable benefit of implementing collaborative and
cooperative efforts that crosscut all three pillars and
involve a multitude of stakeholders and professionals
from various disciplines and sectors. Using this
strategy, the United States Government will employ a

whole-of-government approach to improve our
capabilities and build on existing momentum in our
fight against human trafficking.

We remain focused on ensuring that survivors of these
horrific crimes receive the care and support they need
and deserve. My Administration is empowering and
funding faith-based and community organizations to
provide survivors with vital services, including
medical and counseling services, safety planning,
educational opportunities, and vocational training.
Further, my Administration has doubled the amount of
DOJ funding to combat human trafficking compared to the
previous administration and funded the largest package
of DOJ grants to fight these crimes in American
history. I am proud that these grants included the
first-ever funding for safe housing opportunities for
survivors nationwide.

Despite the challenges posed by the pandemic this year,
my Administration has been unwavering in its efforts to
stop this scourge domestically and around the world.
The DOJ and the Department of Health and Human Services
engaged with State, local, Tribal, and territorial
governments and nongovernmental organizations to
understand the impact of coronavirus on human
trafficking and published resource guides for those in
the fight on how to operate and provide services during
the pandemic. The Department of State also launched a
year-long competition for proposed projects to address
the pandemic's impact on efforts to combat modern
slavery. Additionally, the United States Agency for
International Development adapted their approach to
overseas programmatic work to ensure that survivors are
able to access the critical support services they need
without delay. No matter the circumstances, we will
remain relentless in this work and will spare no
resource in offering hope to the victims and survivors
of this global atrocity.

While we have reached new milestones in this fight for
freedom, we must remain steadfast in our pursuit to end
the evil practice of human trafficking and slavery.
This month, we restore our commitment to bringing human
traffickers to justice and to preserving the dignity
and worth of every person.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the
United States of America, by virtue of the authority
vested in me by the Constitution and the laws of the
United States, do proclaim January 2021 as National
Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month,
culminating in the annual observation of National
Freedom Day on February 1, 2021. I call upon industry
associations, law enforcement, private businesses,
faith-based and other organizations of civil society,
survivors and advocates, schools, families, and all
Americans to recognize our vital roles in ending all
forms of modern slavery and to observe this month with
appropriate programs and activities aimed at ending and
preventing all forms of human trafficking.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
thirty-first day of December, in the year of our Lord
two thousand twenty, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and forty-
fifth.