Anti-Trafficking Program

Who We Are

The mission of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' Anti-Trafficking Program (ATP) is to educate on the scourge of human trafficking as an offense against fundamental dignity of the human person; to advocate for an end to modern day slavery; and to provide training and technical assistance on this issue.

What We Do

Each year, an estimated 17,000 vulnerable men, women and children are trafficked across our borders and then forced into slavery. Many are fleeing terrible situations in their home countries, and come to the United States to find a better life. Unfortunately, the nightmare often begins when they reach our shores.

For over a decade, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) has been a national leader in advocacy and education to eradicate sex and labor trafficking. For six years, USCCB and our partners provided intensive case management services to victims of human trafficking, assisting more than 2,232 survivors of trafficking and over 500 of their family members. Currently, we are concentrating on training and technical assistance so that victims can be identified, brought into safety, and ultimately we can help eradicate the horrible crime of modern day slavery. 

New Initiatives

Dignity of Work:  With HHS Office of Planning, Research and Evaluation, ATP has launched a new program to provide employment services to a group of individuals who were not eligible for benefits previously.  This program will serve individuals who are pre-certified or received certification when they were not ready for employment services, and missed out on vital assistance to help them re-enter the legitimate workforce.  ATP will be working with our network to provide employment services to these individuals, as they are identified around the country.  

The Amistad Movement:  As of January 2013, ATP is launching a new awareness campaign in immigrant communities. The first phase will target Haitians in South Florida, pockets of indigenous Maya communities around the country, and new Hispanic migrants in areas of concern. ATP staff will train individuals in these communities to conduct outreach to their peers, and provide them with resources including language-specific marketing materials. The campaign will focus on awareness raising, education, and coalition building among communities most vulnerable to exploitation and trafficking -- in particular recent immigrants engaged in industries that are poorly regulated such as agriculture, domestic/in-home care, and hospitality. 

Best-Practices Research Project:  In partnership with Georgetown University, Institute for the Study of International Migration (ISIM), we received funding from the Department of Justice to conduct research and evaluation on providing services to victims of trafficking.   We intend to analyze and evaluate our “anytime, anywhere” national model as a best practice.  We will be using data from our administration of the national  per capita contract (funded by the U.S. Government's Department of Health and Human Services - HHS), as well collecting original & recent data, including on-site interviews with prior service providers and clients.  This will be a two year project, and will involve student researchers from Georgetown and ATP staff.  Click here for data from the HHS-USCCB contract.

How You Can Help

DONATE NOW!

Help us in our fight against human trafficking by making a contribution.  If in New York, Florida, or the District of Columbia, donate online. 

If in another state, please go to the National Catholic Fund for Migration and Refugee Services.

Be Part of the Solution.
Learn More About Human Trafficking: Click to find about more about the issue of human trafficking and to learn about the Catholic Church's teaching on this subject.

Be observant.
Identify victims in your community and respond appropriately. Use our Red Flags and Screening Questions to Identify Victims and then Take Action.     

Spread the word.
Help us distribute posters and other resources in your community.  For resources or to request technical assistance, training or consultancy services, contact Anti-Trafficking Services / 202.541.3357.

Be informed.
Sign up for our web-based trainings and/or e-newsletter.

MORE INFORMATION