Standing Together Against HR2601: Protecting Survivor Agency
FTG is a counter-trafficking organization that works beyond our own borders in the U.S. Our programs currently serve survivors in Central America and Africa. However, we are keenly aware of what is happening right here and are adding our voices to the chorus of survivors, victims, and other anti-trafficking agencies and organizations who are speaking out against a proposed bill in Congress, HR2601.
This bill aims “To require entities that contract with the National Human Trafficking Hotline to cooperate with State and local law enforcement agencies when receiving tips via the Hotline.”
What this means, essentially, is that when a victim of human trafficking calls the National Trafficking Hotline, their information is then passed on to law enforcement whether or not they ask, agree, or consent to that.
Why does this matter? Shouldn’t we applaud law enforcement for being ready to step in?
This matters because at the heart of it, human trafficking is stripping agency away from a person. Unfortunately, this bill does the same. We must remember this is a hotline, not a tipline (that’s an entirely different number), and that no other national hotline for helping people are required to do the same. Not domestic violence hotlines, not sexual assault hotlines, not suicide hotlines - they exist to help the person calling, to connect them to resources, to offer assistance for the next steps.
Could you imagine a woman in an abusive relationship calling a hotline to ask for help on how to de-escalate a situation so she and her children remain safe - and for that hotline to send the police to her home? That could get her killed. The same is true for trafficking survivors.
Traffickers often train their victims to view law enforcement as the enemy. If this bill passes, victims who recognize they need help but are still scared of law enforcement will be less likely to call and therefore less likely to receive assistance he or she needs to exit the situation safely.
While we applaud Congress for its continued bipartisan efforts in curbing human trafficking and assisting victims, we must listen to survivors themselves who are overwhelmingly opposed to this bill.
One easy and meaningful way you can stand with survivors is to contact your representative and inform them that you oppose Bill HR2601. I can take as little as 5 minutes.
Find your representative here. You can email all of them straight from this site. Write a message about your opposition or, if that’s too daunting, use this template from Love146:
Dear Representative [Their Name]:
I am writing as a constituent to oppose H.R.2601. H.R.2601 would require the National Human Trafficking Hotline to turn over information from calls to law enforcement without survivors’ consent.
The National Human Trafficking Hotline is a HOTLINE, not a TIPLINE. No other anti-violence hotlines are expected to violate survivors' privacy and safety in this way.
This bill is being rushed through without Congress listening to the voices of survivors who overwhelmingly oppose this legislation.
I oppose H.R.2601 in any form and urge you to do the same.
Sincerely,
[Your Name]
You can also edit this message however you wish. Again, this seemingly small act can make a big difference and will take just a few minutes.
This is how you stand with survivors and elevate their voices.
Use your power to help empower others.
Other ways to stand with survivors:
Educate yourself on the realities of human trafficking as opposed to the myths
Take a training course from local organizations and then volunteer your time
Donate to trusted counter-trafficking organizations
Thankful we are in this together,
Courtney
12.15.2023 UPDATE: Thanks to your outreach efforts, we have successfully prevented H.R. 2601 from advancing to the House floor for a vote during this session. While the exact number of individuals who urged Congress to reject H.R. 2601 is unknown, it's noteworthy that within a mere two weeks, 644 of you utilized Polaris’ Take Action page to send letters to your respective Members of Congress! There's still a chance that Congress may revisit the bill in 2024, so don’t go anywhere, survivors still need your voice and support.