More than 100 organizations supporting human-trafficking survivors across the United States have lost critical funding since October 2025, leaving thousands of survivors at heightened risk, according to an investigation by The Guardian.
The freeze affects programs that provide emergency housing, legal advocacy, and counseling for survivors. Advocacy groups warn that the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) failure to disburse nearly $90 million appropriated by Congress is hampering law enforcement efforts and exposing survivors to homelessness, deportation, or re-exploitation.
Kristina Rose, former deputy director of the DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime, described the situation as “irresponsible, and maybe even immoral,” highlighting the human cost of bureaucratic delays. Survivors like Jordann Hare, who relied on funding for housing and rehabilitation services, now face uncertainty as organizations scale back support. The Life Link, a non-profit that had provided fully subsidized housing and case management for up to 50 survivors annually, has had to cut services by half and lay off staff—including survivors trained to support others.
Other organizations impacted include Street Grace, the YWCA in Kalamazoo, Michigan, and the Reformed Church of Highland Park Affordable Housing Corporation in New Jersey. These groups report that clients are being turned away, some returning to shelters, increasing their vulnerability to trafficking.
U.S. senators, including Richard Durbin, Ben Ray Luján, and Gary Peters, have expressed outrage, accusing the administration of illegally withholding funds intended to combat severe crimes. Critics say the delay fits a broader pattern of diverting resources toward immigration enforcement rather than supporting survivors of exploitation.
In response, a DOJ spokesperson said the department intends to release the funds in the coming weeks, emphasizing the need for efficient use of taxpayer dollars. Meanwhile, advocates continue to warn that prolonged delays are putting survivors in jeopardy and undermining essential anti-trafficking programs nationwide.
