Texas Gov. Greg Abbott | gov.texas.gov/
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott | gov.texas.gov/
Gov. Greg Abbott is working to bring awareness to the problem of human trafficking in Texas.
Abbott proclaimed January as Human Trafficking Prevention Month in the state and the Governor's Mansion was lit in blue lights on Jan. 11 to recognize Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
"The Lone Star State is adamant in its fight against the inhumane practice of human trafficking," Abbott said in a press release. "Texas stands in solidarity with the survivors of this heinous crime, and we are grateful to law enforcement, the Child Sex Trafficking Team, prosecutors and the countless others who have stepped up to keep our communities safe. There is still much work to do, but we will not rest until this inhumanity is eradicated once and for all."
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Saturday tweeted in support of the cause, posting an infographic that stated 1 in 6 endangered runaways are likely to be sexually exploited and 20 percent of trafficking victims are children.
The governor’s wife, Cecilia Abbott, is also an advocate for victims. In October 2019, she launched a statewide campaign to raise awareness of the issue. As part of her campaign, billboards all over Texas displayed typical forms of exploitation to help the public identify and report traffickers to police.
Texas is estimated to harbor 300,000 human trafficking victims, of which 79,000 are youths and minors, according to a 2016 study by the Statewide Human Trafficking Mapping Project of Texas. There are also 234,000 adults trafficked into forced labor, comprising a $600 million labor market, it said.
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