Senator Blackburn: Under Biden, human trafficking has grown; Here’s how Congress can stop it

Senator Marsha Blackburn

Throughout our country, a child is sold for sex every two minutes.

Although shocking, this fact reflects a disturbing reality: human trafficking is one of the fastest growth in the world – generating $ 150 billion in profits – and affects each community in our country, including in Tennessee.

Until November last year, there were 1,170 reports on human trafficking in our state, according to the latest data by the Tennessee Investigation Bureau. This number marks a significant decrease from 1,432 reports in 2023, due to the majority of the Lee Governor, the General Assembly in Tennessee and TBI to end this modern slave. But, unfortunately, it is still 62 percent larger than the number of reports registered by 2019.

While human trafficking has long been a problem in our country, this cruel crime has become even more perverse under the Biden administration, which has taught for four years our southern border to cartels, criminals and traffickers. As a result, each state became a border state – and suffered the tragic consequences.

Even this month, the authorities have accused eight illegal Venezuelian aliens in middle tennessee because the trafficking of women abroad to be sexually exploited. The illegals, which carried out their criminal operation in Nashville Motels between 2022 and 2024, are related to the violent band of Aragua train, which affected cities from all over the country with a rampant crime.

Tragically, too often the victims of these traffickers are defenseless children. According to TBI data, there were 514 reports on minor sex traffic in Tennessee in 2024, more than twice the number of adult sex traffic reports. The report also notes that there has been an increase in the number of unaccompanied minors that are treated in our country and exploited.

This should not be a surprise: under Biden, hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied children have reached our southern border, while many others arrived with adults who have falsely claimed their relatives. Although the president of that time had the responsibility to place these children with true sponsors, his administration has lost the record of over 320,000 migrant children facing threat to abuse, traffic and sexual exploitation.

Fortunately, after four years of failure under the last administration, President Trump works to ensure the border, to protect our communities and to put an end to human trafficking – and there is so much Congress to support this effort.

Last week, we introduced the law of the Gracie bipartid, which would require the registration of all interviews for children’s protection services with children and adults. Although 60 percent of victims of sex traffic for children in our country have engaged with the maternal assistance system, CPS employees often miss signs of abuse. By registering the interviews, we can increase the probability that the victims of child trafficking are identified and eliminated from dangerous situations.

Last month, I also reintroduced a pack of bills that will do so much to combat human trafficking. My law of rescue girls, for example, would offer states, local governments and non -profit the resources they need to put an end to the trafficking in women and young girls. Meanwhile, the national law of the database on trafficking in persons would establish a national database of trafficking in the justice department and to stimulate the application agencies to report the data.

To help conclude the traffic at the border, we also introduced the final act of child trafficking, which would require a DNA test to determine the relationship between illegal aliens trying to enter our country and any accompanying children. And my law on my prints would provide customs and border protection the authority not to quote under 14 years to combat human trafficking and recycling children.

It has been a long time when I ended the horrible practice of human trafficking. With these draft laws, Congress can provide President Trump tools he needs to do so.