Hinds Today

U.S. Senators Cindy Hyde-Smith and Marsha Blackburn have reintroduced a series of legislative measures aimed at combating human trafficking, with a focus on protecting children. This initiative includes the SAVE Girls Act, which seeks to provide resources to states and organizations for safeguarding young women and girls from trafficking.

The introduction of these bills coincides with National Human Trafficking Awareness Day and the designation of January as National Human Trafficking Awareness Month. The senators criticize current immigration policies, attributing an increase in trafficking opportunities to what they describe as "flawed Biden administration immigration and border security policies."

Senator Hyde-Smith emphasized the trauma experienced by trafficked individuals, stating: “I’ve seen firsthand the trauma and suffering experienced by young girls trafficked across our southern border." She further highlighted that the SAVE Girls Act would allocate new resources to combat child trafficking.

Senator Blackburn described human trafficking as a "vile crime" and outlined how the proposed legislation would establish a national database, authorize additional funding for prevention efforts, combat child recycling at borders, and require DNA tests to verify familial relationships of children crossing borders.

The SAVE Girls Act focuses on preventing smuggling activities involving young women and girls into the United States. In 2023 alone, Mississippi reported over 200 cases of human trafficking, including 91 minors involved in sex trafficking.

Hyde-Smith also supports the End Child Trafficking Now Act, which mandates DNA testing to confirm familial ties between immigrants and accompanying children. She argues this measure is necessary due to alleged negligence in current policies allowing child smuggling by traffickers.

Additionally, Hyde-Smith advocates for the PRINTS Act to empower U.S. Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) with fingerprinting authority for non-citizens under 14 years old. This bill aims to curb human trafficking through enhanced identification processes at borders.

Criticism has been directed towards existing administrative practices that allegedly overlook risks posed by these policies. The PRINTS Act proposes removing certain waivers on fingerprinting requirements while mandating public reporting on apprehensions involving false claims about accompanying children's identities.

Alongside Senators Katie Britt and others, Hyde-Smith and Blackburn continue their campaign against policies they believe facilitate human and drug trafficking across southern borders.