Democrats say Trump's immigration crackdown has undermined efforts to combat human trafficking

Source: The Guardian

Wed 4 Feb 2026 12.02 EST
Last modified on Wed 4 Feb 2026 12.21 EST


A diversion of law enforcement personnel and resources to assist with Donald Trump’s mass deportation campaign and deployments to US cities has undermined the government’s efforts to combat child exploitation and human trafficking, Democratic lawmakers warned.

In the letter, sent on Wednesday and first shared with the Guardian, nearly two dozen House Democrats demand that the homeland security and justice departments “immediately” restore full staffing and resources to their anti-trafficking divisions. It also makes reference to the Jeffrey Epstein investigative files, arguing that the government’s failure to publicly release the full scope of the documents in its possession “damages trust in institutions meant to deliver justice”.

“The United States cannot claim to be serious about ending human trafficking while simultaneously dismantling the infrastructure built to fight it,” they write in the letter, sent to the homeland security secretary, Kristi Noem, and the US attorney general, Pam Bondi.

The Democrats accuse the Trump administration of neglecting the federal government’s moral obligation to protect vulnerable youth, especially those within the foster care system, who are disproportionately targeted for exploitation. They request a briefing within 30 days related to the reallocation of personnel or funding from these programs to immigration or other enforcement priorities.

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2026/feb/04/trump-immigration-hinders-human-trafficking-efforts