Trump administration will ‘enable human trafficking’ by freezing funds for survivors, groups warn

Plea to Congress from 74 legal, religious and advocacy groups comes in wake of Guardian reporting on cuts to federal efforts to combat human trafficking

Anti-trafficking groups across the US have sent Congress a letter raising alarms about the Trump administration's failure to release $88m in funding to protect survivors of human trafficking.

The letter from 74 legal, religious and advocacy groups says that the US Department of Justice has frozen funding for more than 100 service organizations across the country that help victims escape their traffickers" and gain access to the services and support that they need to survive".