A bipartisan group of 41 attorneys general is urging the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to ensure the next operator of the National Human Trafficking Hotline promptly shares tips with local law enforcement — a move they say is vital to dismantling trafficking operations and recovering victims.
In a letter sent April 15 to HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the coalition of attorneys general, including Virgin Islands Attorney General Gordon C. Rhea, criticized the current Hotline operator, Polaris, for failing to forward third-party tips about adult victims in a timely manner. According to the press release issued Tuesday by the Virgin Islands Justice Department, the delay in reporting such information undermines law enforcement’s ability to act quickly and effectively in trafficking cases.
“Timely tips from trusted sources are essential for law enforcement to intervene in human trafficking cases and reach victims in need,” Rhea said. “When organizations like Polaris withhold critical data, it undermines the impact of the National Hotline. As we approach the contract’s renewal, we call on the Department of Health and Human Services to help restore the Hotline’s full potential – because every missed report is a missed chance to save a life.”
Since 2007, Polaris has managed the Hotline using federal funds. The attorneys general contend that the organization’s failure to consistently report third-party tips – such as those from concerned citizens, transportation workers, or hotel staff – is contrary to its stated mission and congressional intent. They emphasized they are not seeking disclosure of calls from victims who explicitly request privacy, but they insist that tips from others must be reported without delay, according to the press release.
“To be clear, we are not asking that the Hotline report calls from victims who say they do not want their call reported,” the letter states. “But we are asking them to send us the tips they get from anyone other than the victim. We are asking for the tips from the trucker who sees suspicious behavior on the road, the flight attendant who notices something unusual in the airport, the front desk clerk who sees something that does not make sense at their motel, or the citizen who sees the same woman being abused at the corner market week after week. Those tips matter, and reporting those tips can save lives.”
The attorneys general expressed concern that the Hotline’s effectiveness is compromised if public reports are not passed along swiftly. They pointed to HHS’s current notice of funding opportunity, which requires applicants to submit a law enforcement coordination plan. The coalition urged HHS to ensure that the next grant recipient meets that requirement with full commitment to cooperation, the press release stated.
Led by Attorneys General Lynn Fitch (Miss.), Kathy Jennings (Del.), Liz Murrill (La.), and Aaron Ford (Nev.), the letter was signed by AGs representing nearly every state and territory, reflecting widespread agreement on the importance of federal-state collaboration in the fight against human trafficking, the release stated.
