Senator Chiesa at Human Trafficking Hearing: "End the Nightmare"

Press Release

U.S. Senator Jeff Chiesa (R-NJ) today called for ongoing and additional cooperation by federal, state and local governments in the fight against the ongoing crime of human trafficking in the United States. The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs held a hearing today at Sen. Chiesa's request, looking into the status of government and non-government organization efforts to combat trafficking.

In his opening statement, Senator Chiesa said:

"We must not be content to make just a dent in human trafficking. We must do everything we can to eliminate it -- to abolish modern day slavery from our country and around the world. This is an ambitious goal, but it is not an impossible dream. We must commit ourselves to ending the nightmare that the millions of victims of human trafficking are living every day. Because none of us would give up our freedom for even a day, all of us must dedicate ourselves to ensuring that no one else suffers that fate.

"Eliminating human trafficking requires the active involvement of concerned citizens working together to raise awareness about this terrible problem and advocate change. Modern day slavery exists in the shadows, but it leaves clues to its existence that informed citizens can recognize and call attention to. And it requires the close cooperation of federal, state, and local governments. We must work together to uncover the crime where it exists, prosecute the criminals to the fullest extent of the law, and assist the victims so they are not twice victimized -- first by their captors and then by the system that often treats the victims as criminals themselves."

BACKGROUND: Prior to his appointment to the U.S. Senate, Senator Chiesa worked to make the state of New Jersey more effective in attacking the problem of human trafficking, including issuing a statewide law enforcement directive to increase human trafficking investigations and prosecutions, identify and rescue human trafficking victims, provide comprehensive services to victims, and train law enforcement to recognize possible signs of human trafficking when investigating other crimes.

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