Fighting the Scourge of Human Trafficking

"A Scourge Against Humanity: Addressing Human Trafficking at Mass Gatherings.”

Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON, D.C. – As chairman of the Homeland Security Committee's "Task Force on Enhancing Security for Special Events in the United States," I'm committed to ensuring the mass gatherings on America's soil — from the FIFA World Cup to the 2028 Olympics — are safe and fun for all.

Unfortunately, these events provide a backdrop for criminal activity, including human trafficking, which I've always believed is a modern-day form of slavery. Human trafficking sweeps during the 2017 Super Bowl in Houston led to the arrests of 750 individuals, including solicitors and human traffickers.

This week, I held a task force hearing to examine this issue and prepare to combat it. Click below to watch my full opening remarks at the hearing, which was entitled, "A Scourge Against Humanity: Addressing Human Trafficking at Mass Gatherings.”

I've seen this issue firsthand through a brave human trafficking survivor named Courtney Litvak, who testified at our hearing.

I had the honor of meeting Courtney after she escaped from her traffickers in 2017. Soon afterwards, I got her appointed to President Trump's U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking. She now serves as Director of the Survivor Leader Initiatives at No Trafficking Zone, and at our hearing, she spoke to how human trafficking organizations work, where they operate, and what can be done to stop them.

I also spoke with Jonathan Thompson, Executive Director and CEO of the National Sheriffs' Association, about the nearly 500,000 unaccompanied alien children who entered the country under the Biden administration and remain vulnerable to human trafficking. And I discussed the effectiveness of the Department of Homeland Security's Blue Campaign, which I authorized into law several years ago, with Eliza McCoy, Vice President of Programs and Impact at the American Hotel and Lodging Association Foundation.

Click to watch my full questions and the witnesses' insightful responses.

Grieving in the Wake of the Attack on Australia's Jewish Community
This week, a horrific scene played out in Sydney, Australia, as terrorists carried out a mass shooting at a Jewish holiday celebration. As co-chair of the Congressional Friends of Australia Caucus, I send my deepest condolences to the people of Australia as they mourn this unspeakable tragedy.

My thoughts are also with the Jewish communities in America and around the world in the wake of this abhorrent antisemitic attack. Sadly, Texas A&M's own Rabbi Lazaroff announced his son was injured in the shooting. My prayers are with him, with all those who were injured, and with the loved ones of the 15 individuals who have passed away. May their memories be a blessing.

This attack is further proof that our world must unite against antisemitism wherever it is found, and I will continue to stand up for our Jewish communities, which deserve to practice their deeply held beliefs without fear of persecution. I am grateful the Jewish community in College Station is leading the way in helping our world heal by continuing to celebrate Hanukkah and spread the message that light will always defeat darkness.