[United States Statutes at Large, Volume 132, 115th Congress, 2nd Session]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

 
Proclamation 9835 of December 31, 2018

National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, 2019

By the President of the United States of America

A Proclamation

Human trafficking is a modern form of slavery. It is not enough merely
to denounce this horrific assault on human dignity; we must actively
work to prevent and end this barbaric exploitation of innocent victims.
During National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, we
pledge to continue the battle to abolish modern slavery and restore the
lives of those affected by human trafficking.
Human trafficking harms adults and children of all ages and
demographics. Through force, fraud, and coercion, traffickers push their
victims into demeaning forms of abuse, including domestic servitude and
commercial sexual exploitation. These crimes often remain hidden because
victims are reluctant to seek help for a variety of reasons, including
language barriers, fear of traffickers and law enforcement, and lack of
trust. Human trafficking destroys precious lives and threatens our
Nation's security, public health, and the rule of law. It is a scourge
on the global community.
We are morally obligated to confront and defeat the abhorrent practice
of human trafficking, and I am keeping my pledge to take aggressive
action. In February of 2017, I signed an Executive Order to dismantle
transnational criminal organizations that traffic and exploit people. I
have made it a top priority to fully secure our Nation's Southwest
border, including through the continued construction of a physical wall,
so that we can stop human trafficking and stem the flow of deadly drugs
and criminals into our country. And my Administration is negotiating
tough forced-labor provisions in our new trade agreements, including in
the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement, or USMCA.
In April of 2018, I was proud to sign into law the ``Allow States and
Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017'';, landmark
legislation to fight online sex trafficking. This legislation makes it
easier to take legal action against individuals who use websites to
facilitate sex trafficking, helping victims seek justice against the
websites that profit from their exploitation. It also clarifies that
those who benefit from knowingly assisting, supporting, or facilitating
an act of sex trafficking are in violation of Federal law.
At my direction, Federal departments and agencies are ensuring full
enforcement of our laws so that those who seek to exploit our people and
break our laws receive the full measure of justice they deserve. In 2017
alone, the Department of Justice secured convictions against more than
500 defendants in human trafficking cases and the Federal Bureau of
Investigation dismantled more than 42 criminal enterprises engaged in
child sex trafficking. The Department of Homeland Security initiated
more than 800 human trafficking cases, resulting in at least 1,500
arrests and 530 convictions. The Department of Health and Human Services
modernized the National Human Trafficking Hotline. The Department of
Transportation recently established an Advisory Committee on Human
Trafficking to assist State and local transportation stakeholders in
developing best practices for combating human traf

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ficking. And my Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking
in Persons is working tirelessly to prosecute traffickers and protect
human trafficking victims. The task force has also enhanced
collaboration with other nations, businesses, and survivors of human
trafficking.
Under my Administration, the Federal Government will continue to play a
leading role in the fight against human trafficking. But all Americans
can help in this effort by recognizing key indicators that can
potentially save a life. Public awareness and education are critical,
especially for those most likely to encounter perpetrators of
enslavement and their victims, such as healthcare professionals, law
enforcement officers, social services providers, and educators. Through
the Department of Homeland Security's Blue Campaign, citizens can learn
to identify victims, report suspected instances of trafficking, and
bring those who exploit others to justice.
As a Nation, we cherish and uphold the notion that all people are
created with inherent dignity and entitled to life, liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness. Human trafficking and enslavement robs victims of
these God-given endowments. Modern slavery in all its manifestations is
a blight on humanity and an affront to our fundamental values. We will
not rest until we eradicate this evil.
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 hereby proclaim January 2019 as
National Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month, culminating in
the annual observation of National Freedom Day on February 1, 2019. I
call upon industry associations, law enforcement, private businesses,
faith-based and other organizations of civil society, 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 eighteen, and of the
Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and forty-
third.
DONALD J. TRUMP