US sex trafficking prosecutions drop 22% amid Trump immigration crackdown: Report

In a 22% decrease in sex trafficking prosecutions, the Trump administration's focus on immigration enforcement has reportedly hindered progress, according to a Reuters investigation. Federal prosecutors charged 73 individuals with sex trafficking through June, significantly fewer than the three-year average during the same period.

Interviews with 25 former prosecutors, current agents, and victims' advocates, along with a review of federal court records, supported these findings. Former prosecutors and agents attributed the decline to personnel shortages, with experienced Justice Department personnel leaving the organization and some Homeland Security Investigations agents being reassigned to immigration duties.

This shift has affected both the investigation process and victims, whose cooperation is crucial in trafficking cases. Victim-support organizations faced challenges due to delayed or frozen grants, and the number of T-visas approved for trafficking victims was at roughly half the typical rate. The Justice Department acknowledged the decline but attributed it to prosecutors and investigators being occupied with major ongoing cases. They also noted that they were hiring to fill vacant positions.