§242a Department of Homeland Security Center for Countering Human Trafficking

Summary

The Secretary of Homeland Security must run the Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT) inside ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations. CCHT’s job is to lead DHS efforts worldwide to fight human trafficking using law enforcement and programs that protect victims, prevent trafficking, and raise public awareness. HSI must keep a written plan that lists who takes part, how CCHT is funded, its main jobs, and its staff, and update that plan when needed. The Secretary must appoint a CCHT Director who is a member of the Senior Executive Service and who represents DHS on human trafficking. Subject to available funding, CCHT must have at least 45 employees, including staff for the Continued Presence program and victim services; people who handle training and public education; staff for partnerships, coordination, and policy; support staff like public relations, human resources, data, and IT; special agents and criminal analysts for trafficking and forced-labor cases; and managers. The Director must run an Operations Unit that helps criminal investigations by developing and coordinating leads, giving expert help, and using intelligence and data analysis. That unit must also strengthen enforcement against importing goods made with forced labor, and lead department-wide procurement checks and enforcement actions, including suspension and debarment, to reduce trafficking in contracts. The Director must also run a Protection and Awareness Programs Unit that puts victims first across DHS policies and training, runs the Continued Presence program, handles training and screening tools, operates the Blue Campaign and other awareness efforts to find and prevent trafficking, and coordinates training and events with survivors, NGOs, companies, multilateral groups, law enforcement, and other partners.