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| Updated: 4/24/2012 9:50 pm |
Published: 4/24/2012 9:44 pm |
LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said Tuesday that he was designating a coordinator to oversee the Justice Department's efforts to combat human trafficking, describing it as modern-day slavery that has reached "crisis" proportions on a global scale.
Holder announced the new post while speaking in Little Rock as part of a distinguished lecture series co-sponsored by former President Bill Clinton's foundation. Holden did not say who would be named to the new post, which he said would coordinate efforts within the department and with other agencies on combatting human trafficking.
"This step will allow the department to continue to break new ground, and to more quickly develop and implement the most effective possible approaches for meeting our shared public safety goals and moral obligation - of preventing human trafficking, protecting victims across the country, punishing perpetrators, and empowering victims to move forward as survivors," Holder told the crowd at the Clinton Presidential Library.
Much of the department's work in human trafficking is led by its civil rights division and a human trafficking prosecution unit, Holder said. The department launched an initiative last year that included a pilot program with the Labor and Homeland Security departments to coordinate human trafficking prosecutions and investigations in six cities.
Holder said the Justice Department has charged nearly 120 defendants in human trafficking cases over the past year, which he called a record number. Holder said the department has had a 30 percent increase in the number of forced labor and adult sex trafficking prosecutions.
Holder said human trafficking is becoming an increasingly common part of gang activity, with traffickers viewing people as commodities. He said the department is training law enforcement officials who deal with other crimes to also look for signs of human trafficking.
"These crimes are seen as low risk and high reward," he said. "They bring in more profits - and often result in less prison time - than dealing drugs."
Authorities worldwide have been raising concerns about human trafficking. The head of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime said Monday that as many as 2.4 million people may be victims of human trafficking at any given time.
Holder said pressure should also be put on private businesses and websites that have helped traffickers to operate.
"We must question not only why advertisements for the services of young women can be readily found on so many publications and Web pages, but also why some publishers and Internet service providers are still making excuses and providing justifications for business practices that are immoral and support trafficking," Holder said.
Citing examples ranging from migrant workers deprived of identification and health care to young girls shuttled to truck stops along the interstate, Holder said human trafficking was an increasing problem for American authorities.
"Make no mistake - human trafficking is not just a global problem," Holder said. "It is a national crisis, one that every parent, every teacher, every policymaker and every law enforcement official must work to understand and must help to address."
The University of Arkansas Clinton School for Public Service announced earlier this month that Holder's speech would focus on the department's efforts to fight human trafficking and help victims. U.S. Sen. Mark Pryor, an Arkansas Democrat, last week called on Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to improve efforts to combat human trafficking and called it "an abundant and profitable form of international criminal activity."
During a question-and-answer session with the audience after his speech, Holder also said he hoped that Republicans and Democrats could find a way to work together on immigration reform after the November election.
"It is an indictment of the situation in Washington, D.C., that we've been unable to do that," Holder said.
Holder spoke as part of the Frank and Kula Kumpuris Distinguished Lecture Series. The series is sponsored by the Clinton Foundation, the University of Arkansas Clinton School of Public Service and AT&T.
(Copyright 2012 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.)
