Today, on October 1, 2025, the US Department of Justice allowed over 100 trafficking victim services grants to expire without new grants in place to fill the gap. For FY25, Congress appropriated $88,000,000 to the DOJ to provide victim services, but the DOJ is currently withholding the funds. At least 5,000 survivors are now at risk of losing lifesaving services that help keep them safe from re-exploitation. On top of this, the federal government shut down at midnight, with no communication to service provider grantees about whether they would be able to access funds to continue providing services to over 17,000 survivors.
Comprehensive victim services are critical for survivors escaping human trafficking. Survivors often have urgent needs, including emergency housing, food, and medical care, which requires consistent and reliable funding. They also have long-term needs like case management, reunification for families separated by trafficking, mental healthcare, assistance in finding safer jobs, legal support, and community support. Federal funding is crucial to ensuring service providers have the funds necessary to meet survivors’ short and long-term needs. Without this funding, providers will have to close their doors, leaving survivors without any services in many cities across the country.
When survivors are unable to access needed services, they are left with few choices for assistance. Some may be able to find help from their community, but many will have to rely on unsafe jobs, navigate confusing social services systems alone, or go back to traffickers. When survivors cannot come forward because services are unavailable, communities are made less safe. Any lapse in services puts survivors’ lives at risk and reduces safety for all.
The DOJ should act immediately to right this wrong. Victim service providers are the frontline of our anti-trafficking efforts. Strong victim services are necessary to ensure survivors can escape trafficking and seek healing. Withholding this funding puts survivors in danger. Playing political games with this money means abandoning trafficking survivors and handing traffickers impunity.
FNUSA has urged the DOJ: restore the services and release the funds. Join us by sending a message to the DOJ in support of these critical services.
