Sex-Trafficking Prosecutions Plummet as Priorities Shift, Data Shows

The Trump administration has repeatedly declared the fight against sex trafficking a top priority, but federal data and interviews with 25 former prosecutors, current agents, and victims' advocates paint a different picture: investigations are stalling and prosecutions are falling to their lowest level in over a decade.

Through June, the Justice Department charged just 73 people with sex-trafficking offenses — about 22% fewer than the average for the same period over the previous three years, according to court records. Related charges also declined: child pornography cases dropped 3% and Mann Act violations fell 18% compared to recent averages.

The decline is part of a broader shift in federal law enforcement under President Donald Trump, who has cut agency budgets and directed resources toward deportation efforts. Non-immigration criminal charges overall fell 7% to about 22,000 in the first half of the year.

Prosecutors and agents say the drop reflects a severe shortage of experienced personnel. Dozens of veteran sex-trafficking prosecutors have left the department, and at times last year, a majority of Homeland Security Investigations agents were assigned to immigration duties. In some U.S. attorney's offices, agents working trafficking cases cannot find prosecutors to take them.

"You can't say something is a priority and then not provide the resources to make that happen," said Jacqueline Kelley, a former federal prosecutor in New York who led the prosecution of Sean "Diddy" Combs.

Victims' advocates also point to a growing distrust of federal authorities, fueled by aggressive immigration enforcement. One trafficking survivor in New England saw her case stall after agents were diverted to immigration work; she was later forced back into sex work and no longer wants federal involvement, according to an advocate.

Federal grants that support victim services have also been cut, eroding the safety net that helps survivors cooperate with investigations.

Administration officials insist sex-trafficking enforcement remains a priority. Alessandra Serano, the new national coordinator for child exploitation and human trafficking, said the drop in prosecutions may be due to prosecutors spending time on large ongoing cases, and she noted the department is actively hiring to fill vacancies.

Attorney General Todd Blanche, confirmed in a narrow Senate vote, told Congress that combating human trafficking "remains a Department priority." The Department of Homeland Security also said it remains committed to dismantling trafficking networks.

But the data and on-the-ground accounts suggest that, for now, the promise of a crackdown has not translated into courtroom results.