Wyden Seeks Data on Dramatic Decline In Child Trafficking Oversight at Trump Health Department

Wyden Seeks Data on Dramatic Decline In Child Trafficking Oversight at Trump Health Department

Finance Committee Ranking Member Demands Slew of Information on How HHS is Enforcing Trafficking Victims Protection Act

Text of the Letter (PDF)

Washington, D.C. - Senate Finance Committee Ranking Member Ron Wyden, D-Ore., today sought details about the Department of Health and Human Services' (HHS) diminished capacity to identify, respond to, and prevent trafficking and exploitation of children in its custody, as required by federal statute.

"The safety and well-being of children under the Secretary's care must be paramount," Wyden wrote. "Sources indicate continued staff reductions, diminished operational capacity, and a sharp decline in trafficking-related determinations within the Department. Congress established clear statutory requirements to ensure that children who may have experienced trafficking are promptly identified and provided access to services. Failure to fully implement these requirements would represent an abdication of the Secretary's obligations under the law to protect vulnerable children."

Statutory protections for preventing trafficking and exploitation of children in HHS custody were created by the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008 and are mandatory, constituting the core safeguards Congress established to ensure rapid identification and protection of child trafficking victims. Recent accounts indicate HHS lacks the capacity to meet its legal obligation to these children.

In the letter, sent to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and Assistant Secretary for Family Support

Alex Adams, Wyden requested data and information on how the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) is ensuring effective coordination, staffing, and oversight between the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) and the Office on Trafficking in Persons (OTIP) in the following areas:

• Coordination and data sharing

• Staffing and organizational capacity

• Case referrals, determinations and outcomes

• Monitoring and compliance

The text of the letter is here.

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