Nearly two dozen House Democrats have warned that the Trump administration's diversion of law enforcement personnel and resources to immigration enforcement has undermined efforts to combat human trafficking and child exploitation. In a letter sent on Wednesday to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Attorney General Pam Bondi, the lawmakers demanded the immediate restoration of full staffing and resources to anti-trafficking divisions.
The letter, first shared with the Guardian, also cited the failure to publicly release the full scope of the Jeffrey Epstein investigative files, arguing it “damages trust in institutions meant to deliver justice”. The Democrats accused the administration of neglecting its moral obligation to protect vulnerable youth, particularly those in foster care, who are disproportionately targeted for exploitation.
Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove of California, who organised the letter, said: “I am incensed that federal resources from DHS, from the Justice Department – we’re talking about prosecutors, agents, funds – are being diverted away from anti-human trafficking programmes and reassigned to immigration enforcement. It is a dereliction of duty.”
The concerns follow reports that thousands of agents from multiple agencies have been reassigned to immigration duties. A Cato Institute document from August 2025 showed more than 25,000 officers had been diverted. A New York Times investigation in November found the focus on deportations had taken resources away from investigations into sexual crimes against children and anti-trafficking programmes.
The Trump administration has defended its approach. Noem claimed in a Fox News interview that “zero children have been trafficked in the last 12 months because of President Trump’s leadership”. Kamlager-Dove expressed incredulity, saying she had spoken to local prosecutors and advocates whose work has been strained by the federal reassignments.
