releases: https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=01a67015-ca96-4434-ab5c-6e7e24809b45
Data license: MIT · Data source: dwillis/congress-press
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| https://www.heitkamp.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=01a67015-ca96-4434-ab5c-6e7e24809b45 | Heitkamp Fights to Protect Homeless & Runaway Youth from Human Trafficking | 2014-11-25 | 2014 | 2014-11 | Democrat | House | ND | Heidi Heitkamp | H001069 | www.heitkamp.senate.gov | legacy | WASHINGTON, D.C. U.S. Senator Heidi Heitkamp today joined a legislative push to target runaway and homeless youth as a key group to protect against human trafficking, as they are particularly susceptible to getting caught up in these horrific crimes. Heitkamp announced her support for the legislation on the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, November 25, to continue her work to raise awareness about the problems of human trafficking and stop them. Since her time as North Dakotas Attorney General, Heitkamp has worked to fight human trafficking across the state, and she has quickly emerged as a leader in the effort to combat it in the Senate. Her support for this legislation continues those efforts by reauthorizing proven programs to support at-risk homeless youth, which is a growing problem in North Dakota, particularly on Indian reservations. The number of homeless youth across the country is staggering nearly 2 million nationwide and that number is growing in North Dakota and surrounding states. These young people, who have nowhere else to turn, are the often the easiest and most susceptible targets for human traffickers, said Heitkamp. If we want to end the exploitation and slavery of our most vulnerable youth, we have to dig deeper we have to provide the necessary resources, shelter, and services for these young people so they realize someone out there does care about them and they do not have to give themselves to a life of being someone elses property. For years, Ive been fighting for better protections of our young people who need to be pulled out of this life, and working to stop the pipeline of trafficking around the world and Ill keep working to tackle this issue from all sides. We are the guardians of our childrens future, and its up to us to make sure they dont fall victim to horrific crimes like trafficking that pull them into a lifelong cycle of abuse, crime, and violence. The Runaway and Homeless Youth and Trafficking Prevention Act, first signed into law in 1974, provides essential outreach and services for homeless youth. Since 1995, organizations that serve North Dakotas homeless youth have received more than $11.4 million through the program. In her numerous conversations with advocates and leaders across the state, it has been relayed that these resources have had a proven impact in providing essential services and protecting at-risk youth from falling prey to a life of crime or becoming involved those who would look to exploit them. Last fall, Heitkamp led a Senate hearing which focused on addressing human trafficking as a law enforcement issue on federal, state, and local levels. Last November, Heitkamp helped introduce legislation to give prosecutors the proper tools to tackle domestic sex trafficking while protecting minors and making sure they get the support they need, and are treated as victims, not criminals. Heitkamp brought resources home to North Dakota by holding a training for Fargo-area residents in May to learn from U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials how to identify and report instances of human trafficking. Following up on the success of this training, Heitkamp brought DHS officials to Bismarck to train women leaders, and to Fargo to train local law enforcement on recognizing, reporting and investigating incidents of human trafficking. In leading the push in Congress to stymie human trafficking channels both around the country and internationally, Heitkamp has partnered with Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) and Cindy McCain a leader in the global effort to tackle human trafficking. In their visit to Mexico last spring, Heitkamp, Klobuchar and McCain met with local officials and advocates to learn about the actions Mexico is taking to stop human trafficking and to develop and discuss coordinated efforts to combat sex trafficking in the United States. Following the trip to Mexico, McCain invited Heitkamp to participate in the McCain Institutes annual Sedona Forum, which brings together world leaders to talk about global issues, to discuss human trafficking and examine ways to combat the problem. Just yesterday, Heitkamp participated in a discussion with McCain about combatting human trafficking for The McCain Institutes Human Trafficking Conversation Series. This fall, Heitkamp launched her Strong & Safe Communities Initiative to address emerging challenges throughout North Dakota in the wake of the states energy boom. Specifically, Heitkamp is leading a Strong & Safe Communities Task Force comprised of experts, advocates, and officials throughout the state who have a strong understanding of some of these new challenges in the state, including the rise of crimes related to human trafficking. The Task Force will also look into increases in drug-related crime, challenges to Indian Country, domestic violence, infrastructure stress, the increased transportation of crude oil by rail, as well as other issues. This group, led by Heitkamp, will provide recommendations on the best ways to address these safety issues over the next five years so that Heitkamp can work toward policies that keep our communities strong and families safe in their homes. ### | 1 | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z | 2026-03-30T12:14:52Z |