Trump Administration Continues to Hack Away at Efforts to Combat Sex Trafficking

The Trump administration is continuing to take a sledgehammer approach to federal efforts to fight sex trafficking, an eyebrow-raising development in his second term. Just last week, I wrote about the administration's apparent defunding of the National CASA/GAL Association for Children — a move that has left many wondering if the administration is actually interested in protecting its most vulnerable citizens.

CASA/GAL leaders have vowed to fight back after receiving notice that federal grants were being terminated, which could leave young victims without advocates who can steer them into safe environments. The organization assigns volunteer advocates to children believed to have suffered abuse, including sex trafficking victims. Without these advocates, the lives of countless young people will be left at risk.

But the administration's efforts to combat sex trafficking don't stop there. It appears that they are also effectively eliminating a Justice Department unit that specializes in investigating international crime, including drug and human trafficking rings. The Trump administration is "decommissioning" a Department of Justice unit called the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces, or OCDETF.

Leaders of the unit were told they had until Sept. 30 to shut down operations, according to people familiar with the matter who asked not to be identified due to concerns over potential retribution. An email sent last Monday by a DOJ budget analyst to a counterpart at OCDETF said that the unit's fiscal year 2026 budget would be "zeroed out" and the independent office dissolved.

The decision to gut this division has been met with skepticism, particularly given the unit's track record of success. The OCDETF unit has been credited with the capture of infamous drug kingpin Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, who is now serving life in prison. But cutting funding for a proven anti-crime initiative raises questions about the administration's commitment to protecting Americans from harm.

In response to the news, the DOJ told Bloomberg that they would continue their law enforcement efforts against transnational criminal organizations "to make America safe again." However, there's no reason to believe that gutting this division will improve the nation's ability to fight crime. In fact, it seems to be a step backward in the administration's efforts to combat sex trafficking and other forms of organized crime.

The Trump administration's actions on sex trafficking and law enforcement have been widely criticized by many on the left and right. Some MAGA figures have promoted conspiracy theories linking liberals to sex trafficking while portraying themselves as saviors to victims. But in reality, it's their leader — Trump — whose administration is potentially putting victims at risk.

As we move forward in this second term, it's crucial that we hold the administration accountable for its actions. The fight against sex trafficking and organized crime requires a comprehensive approach that includes funding for proven initiatives like CASA/GAL and the OCDETF unit. Anything less is a disservice to the victims who deserve our protection and support.