Attorney General Kwame Raoul has allied with a bipartisan coalition of 41 attorneys general, advocating for enhanced cooperation between federal and state entities in the fight against human trafficking. They submitted a comment letter to Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., emphasizing the need for improved collaboration with local law enforcement concerning the operations of the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
Raoul underscored the significance of public tips in combating human trafficking. He stated, “Law enforcement relies on tips from the public to effectively combat human trafficking. Ensuring that information gets to law enforcement in a timely manner without compromising victims’ safety can save lives, which is why I am joining with my colleagues on a bipartisan basis to call on HHS to require the next operator of the National Human Trafficking Hotline to do a better job of partnering with local law enforcement and promptly forwarding human trafficking tips.”
Polaris Project has managed the National Human Trafficking Hotline since 2007, funded by Congress. The hotline has been instrumental for states like Illinois to distribute third-party tips of suspected trafficking to local law enforcement, who can then arrest perpetrators, secure victims, and gather evidence. However, it has been found that Polaris has not consistently forwarded tips regarding adult victims to state law enforcement and has often delayed sharing vital information for several months.
The letter from Raoul and his colleagues noted that Polaris’s practices deviate from what is advertised and expected by involved parties and what Congress anticipates from its funding. The HHS is in the process of seeking a new hotline operator, and candidates are required to offer a plan for collaboration with law enforcement.
The coalition stresses that they are not requesting tips from victims who do not wish their calls to be reported; rather, they urge the sharing of information from third parties such as truck drivers, flight attendants, or motel clerks who notice suspicious activities.
The states and territories represented in the letter alongside Raoul include Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virgin Islands, Virginia, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.