Illinois AG pushing RFK Jr. for improved cooperation to end human trafficking

CHICAGO, Ill. (WCIA) — Attorney General Kwame Raoul joined a coalition of 41 attorneys general pushing Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for better federal and state cooperation to put a stop to human trafficking.

On Thursday, Raoul announced that the coalition submitted a letter urging Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for improved cooperation with local law enforcement from the next operator of the National Human Trafficking Hotline.

“Law enforcement relies on tips from the public to effectively combat human trafficking,” Raoul said. “Ensuring that information gets to law enforcement in a timely manner without compromising victims’ safety can save lives, which is why I am joining with my colleagues on a bipartisan basis to call on HHS to require the next operator of the National Human Trafficking Hotline to do a better job of partnering with local law enforcement and promptly forwarding human trafficking tips.”

The nonprofit organization Polaris Project (Polaris) has operated the National Human Trafficking Hotline since 2007 with millions of dollars in funding authorized by Congress. Some states, including Illinois, rely on the hotline to forward third-party tips of suspected human trafficking to local law enforcement to arrest traffickers, safely recover victims and uncover evidence of trafficking rings and operations.

However, it was recently discovered that, except in limited circumstances, Polaris has failed to forward third-party tips on adult victims to state law enforcement and has also often delayed sharing hotline tips with states for several months.

In the letter sent by the coalition, Raoul and the other attorneys general said this practice disputes what Polaris advertises, what states and organizations have come to expect from this partnership and what Congress expects from its funding. HHS is currently seeking applicants for a new award for current funding which requires the hotline operator to develop a plan for working with law enforcement.

The coalition is encouraging Kennedy to consider applications for the National Human Trafficking Hotline grant that demonstrate a commitment to partnering with both the attorneys general and local law enforcement with timely trafficking tip reports.

Additionally, the coalition clarified that they are not asking the hotline to send tips from a victim who does not want their call reported, but from anyone other than a victim. This could include people such as truck drivers, flight attendants or motel desk clerks who notice suspicious behavior.