Democrats say Trump’s immigration crackdown has undermined efforts to combat human trafficking

House Democrats say US anti-trafficking efforts have been hamstrung by diversion of resources to immigration raids

A diversion of law enforcement personnel and resources to assist with Donald Trump's mass deportation campaign and deployments to US cities has undermined the government's efforts to combat child exploitation and human trafficking, Democratic lawmakers warned.

In the letter, sent on Wednesday and first shared with the Guardian, nearly two dozen House Democrats demand that the homeland security and justice departments immediately" restore full staffing and resources to their anti-trafficking divisions. It also makes reference to the Jeffrey Epstein investigative files, arguing that the government's failure to publicly release the full scope of the documents in its possession damages trust in institutions meant to deliver justice".