Delayed US report on global human trafficking is released

"The 2025 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) report, which details conditions in the United States and more than 185 countries, was initially scheduled for release at an event in June featuring the US secretary of state, Marco Rubio, the Guardian has reported, but the event was scrapped and staff at the state department office charged with leading the federal government's fight against human trafficking were cut by more 70%."

"The US Trafficking Victims Protection Act requires that the state department provide the report to Congress each year no later than 30 June. The delay in the release of the report this year raised fears among some anti-trafficking advocates that the 2025 document had been permanently shelved. The report was published quietly on the agency's website on Monday without a customary introduction from the secretary of state or the ambassador tasked with monitoring and combating human trafficking, a position Donald Trump has not filled."

"The state department did not answer repeated questions from the Guardian about why the report had been delayed, but said it was subject to the same rigorous review process as in years past. The Guardian highlighted the report's delay in a 17 September article reporting that the Trump administration has aggressively rolled back efforts across the federal government to combat human trafficking. White House officials called the Guardian's findings nonsense and said the administration remains committed to anti-trafficking efforts."

The US State Department delayed the legally required 2025 Trafficking in Persons report beyond the June 30 deadline set by the Trafficking Victims Protection Act. It covers the United States and more than 185 countries and was scheduled for a June event that was canceled. Staff in the State Department office leading federal anti‑trafficking efforts were cut by over 70% and the ambassador-at-large position remains unfilled. The report was quietly posted online without the customary introduction from the secretary of state or ambassador. The State Department said the report underwent the same rigorous review as prior years but did not answer repeated inquiries about the delay.

Read at www.theguardian.com