Originally published in the Dallas Morning News.
New legislation stiffens penalties and provides for victims.
A recent police effort underscored a disturbing but resolvable truth: Human trafficking doesn’t just happen in faraway places — it happens in our own backyard, and, too often, it targets our children.
Through a coordinated effort by the U.S. Marshals Service, federal and Texas agencies, and San Antonio law enforcement, Operation Lightning Bug found more than 30 missing juveniles, with many suspected to be victims of sex trafficking. The effort executed nine felony warrants and opened five new human trafficking investigations.
That kind of cross-agency cooperation should be the model, not the exception. It yielded positive outcomes and illustrated the great work that law enforcement can do.
But the mission does not end when a child is rescued. Texans have a moral duty to ensure these young survivors reclaim their lives and never get pulled back into the same nightmare.
In 2024, Texas’ clearance rate for human trafficking cases was around 28%, proof that too many cases remain unresolved, and too many victims are still waiting for justice. Yet operations like “Operation Lightning Bug” show what is possible when law enforcement focuses its energy where it counts — on saving lives and dismantling criminal networks.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has taken bold steps to strengthen that fight. This year, he signed new laws imposing the toughest penalties yet on traffickers and ensuring those who prey on children or disabled Texans serve their full sentences — no parole, no excuses. He also created an affirmative defense for survivors, ensuring justice for those who commit crimes under coercion.
These laws send a message: Texas protects its most vulnerable. But the laws also highlight the next challenge and remind us that rescue is only the first step.
Survivors need counseling, education, medical care and legal support. Without those resources, too many risk being revictimized or pushed into the criminal justice system for acts they were forced to commit.
At the federal level, there is an opportunity to match Texas’s example. The bipartisan Trafficking Survivors Relief Act would allow trafficking victims to clear criminal records tied directly to their exploitation. The TSRA would also provide legal support to help them rebuild their lives — a crucial step to break the cycle of abuse and poverty.
This legislation would break the chains that too often bind a victim’s future. The bill’s sponsor, U.S. Rep. Russell Fry, R-S.C., noted: “Victims of human trafficking are often forced to engage in criminal activity, leaving them with a federal criminal record. As a result, basic needs such as renting an apartment and getting a job can be impossible.”
U.S. Rep. Ann Wagner, R-Mo., one of 16 co-sponsors, echoed that urgency: “For too long, victims of human trafficking have remained trapped in a cycle of exploitation through no fault of their own.”
Texans have shown what leadership looks like in the fight against human trafficking. Now it is time for Washington to follow Texas’ lead and give survivors the freedom and support they deserve.
Rescue is just the first chapter; the hard work of recovery, rehabilitation and rebuilding lives must follow. Behind every trafficking statistic is a child, a face, a story, and it is our responsibility to ensure those stories do not end in silence.
