Written by Marsha Blackburn
U.S. Senator
Washington, D.C. – Across our country, a child is sold for sex every two minutes.
Although shocking, this fact reflects a troubling reality: Human trafficking is one of the fastest growing criminal industries in the world—generating $150 billion in profits— and afflicts every community in our country, including in Tennessee.
Through November of last year, there were 1,170 reports of human trafficking in our state, according to the latest Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) data. This number marks a significant drop from 1,432 reports in 2023, thanks in large part to the committed efforts of Governor Bill Lee, the Tennessee General Assembly, and TBI to end this modern-day slavery. But unfortunately, it is still 62 percent higher than the number of reports recorded as recently as 2019.
While human trafficking has long been a problem in our country, this heinous crime became even more pervasive under the Joe Biden administration, which for four years surrendered our southern border to cartels, criminals, and traffickers. As a result, every state became a border state—and suffered the tragic consequences.
Just this month, authorities charged eight Venezuelan illegal aliens in Middle Tennessee for trafficking women across our border to be sexually exploited. The illegals, who conducted their criminal operation out of Nashville motels between 2022 and 2024, are tied to the violent gang Tren de Aragua, which has plagued cities across the country with rampant crime.
Tragically, all too often the victims of these traffickers are defenseless children. According to TBI data, there were 514 reports of minor sex trafficking in Tennessee in 2024, more than twice the number of reports of adult sex trafficking. The report also notes that there has been an increase in the number of unaccompanied minors who are trafficked into our country and exploited.
This should come as no surprise: Under Biden, hundreds of thousands of unaccompanied children reached our southern border, while many more arrived with adults who falsely claimed to be their relatives. Although the then-President had a responsibility to place these children with vetted sponsors, his administration lost track of more than 320,000 migrant children who face the threat of abuse, trafficking, and sexual exploitation.
Thankfully, after four years of failure under the last administration, President Trump is working to secure our border, protect our communities, and bring human trafficking to an end—and there is so much Congress can do to support this effort.
Just last week, I introduced the bipartisan GRACIE Act, which would require the recording of all Child Protective Services interviews with children and adults. Although 60 percent of child sex trafficking victims in our country have engaged with the foster care system, too often CPS staffers miss signs of abuse. By recording interviews, we can increase the likelihood that child trafficking victims will be identified and removed from dangerous situations.
Last month, I also reintroduced a package of bills that will do so much to combat human trafficking. My SAVE Girls Act, for example, would provide states, local governments, and nonprofits with the resources they need to end the trafficking of young women and girls. My National Human Trafficking Database Act, meanwhile, would establish a national human trafficking database at the Department of Justice and incentivize state law enforcement agencies to report data.
To help bring an end to trafficking at the border, I also introduced the End Child Trafficking Now Act, which would require a DNA test to determine the relationship between illegal aliens attempting to enter our country and any accompanying children. And my PRINTS Act would give Customs and Border Protection the authority to fingerprint noncitizens under the age of 14 to combat human trafficking and child recycling.
It is far past time that we brought the horrific practice of human trafficking to an end. With these bills, Congress can provide President Trump the tools he needs to make it happen.
