Federal sex-trafficking charges and related prosecutions have declined during the first six months of the year, according to court records and interviews with law enforcement officials. While the Trump administration has stated that combating human trafficking is a top priority, records show that the Department of Justice (DOJ) charged 73 people through June, representing a 22% decrease compared to the first half of the previous three years.
Current and former federal agents and prosecutors attributed the decline to staffing shortages, budget cuts, and a shift in focus toward immigration enforcement and mass deportations. Alessandra Serano, the DOJ’s national coordinator for child exploitation and human trafficking, stated that the drop might be due to officials litigating a high volume of existing cases, which prevents them from opening new ones. She noted that the department is actively hiring to replace departed personnel.
The shift in resources has affected various agencies, including Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), where agents and former prosecutors reported that the majority of personnel were assigned to immigration matters last year. Consequently, charges for related offenses have also fallen: child pornography violations dropped 3% to 1,230 cases, and Mann Act violations for interstate prostitution dropped 18% to 318 cases through June. Overall federal criminal charges for non-immigration crimes fell 7% to approximately 22,000 cases during the same period.
On a per-person level, the impact is seen in the reduction of T-visas, which provide legal status to victims who assist law enforcement. The administration approved 354 T-visas in the first half of the fiscal year—roughly half the average pace of the past decade—while more than 71,000 applications remain pending. Legal advocates stated that some cooperating witnesses have been detained by immigration authorities despite pending applications, which attorneys say discourages victims from reporting crimes or testifying in court. This concrete change in legal risk for victims has, in at least one reported case, led a survivor to return to sex work after federal investigators were diverted to immigration duties.
The knock-on effects include the erosion of long-term investigative structures and the loss of seasoned expertise as veteran prosecutors leave the department. Advocates suggested that the disruption of trust between victims and agents could take years to rebuild, potentially hampering future sex-trafficking litigation. What happens next depends on the leadership of newly confirmed Attorney General Todd Blanche, who was approved by the Senate in a 50-49 vote on August 8, 2026. Blanche has told Congress that combating trafficking remains a priority, and the department continues to review pending grant applications to ensure they align with administration goals.