Heitkamp, Klobuchar Join with Minnesota Advocates to Discuss Efforts to Combat Human Trafficking

Press Release

U.S. Senators Heidi Heitkamp (D-ND) and Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) today met with local advocates to discuss efforts to combat human and sex trafficking in Minnesota.

While meeting with human rights, Native American, and women's groups working to combat human trafficking, Heitkamp was encouraged by the impact the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center is having to provide resources for Indian Country -- from reducing instances of trafficking to helping victims recover. Heitkamp will work to build such resources for Native communities in North Dakota.

"Senator Klobuchar and I have worked closely on this issue, and she continues to reinforce the great work being done in Minnesota to reduce human trafficking," said Heitkamp. "Today I saw that firsthand after meeting with different groups working on these problems. I was particularly impressed with the Minnesota Indian Women's Resource Center and the work the organization is doing to reduce trafficking in Indian Country, which is too often a target. In North Dakota, I hope we can take many of the lessons from Minnesota to help stop trafficking in Indian Country and around our state."

"Minnesota is tackling the challenge of sex trafficking head on, and it's great having Senator Heitkamp here to see the incredible work that's being done on the ground so we can take this to the national level," Klobuchar said. "I see the fight against sex trafficking in Minnesota and across the U.S. as part of a larger issue about how we treat women and how we portray ourselves to the world. If the U.S. is going to be a leader in promoting women's rights, then we have to make the fight against sex trafficking a top priority, and that's exactly what we're doing in Minnesota."

Just last week, Heitkamp joined officials from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to train Fargo area residents on identifying and reporting potential occurrences of human trafficking.

Since last fall, Heitkamp and Klobuchar have emerged as leaders in Congress to combat human trafficking, and have worked closely to bring light to the issue across the country and around the world. In September 2013, Heitkamp led a Senate hearing on what all levels of government are doing to combat human trafficking and how to address it as a law enforcement issue. She and Klobuchar helped introduce legislation to give prosecutors the tools they need to tackle domestic sex trafficking, while also protecting minors who are involved by making sure they receive the support they need and are treated as victims, not criminals. In January, Heitkamp and Klobuchar brought together law enforcement and social service advocates in Fargo to talk about their legislation and the importance of addressing human trafficking in North Dakota.

This spring, Heitkamp, Klobuchar, and Cindy McCain -- a global leader in the fight against human trafficking -- visited Mexico where they met with local officials and advocates to learn about the actions Mexico is taking to stop human trafficking and talk about coordinating efforts. Following the trip to Mexico, McCain invited Heitkamp and Klobuchar to participate in the McCain Institute's annual Sedona Forum, which brings together world leaders to talk about global issues, to discuss human trafficking and examine ways to combat the problem.

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