Human Trafficking

ICESAHT to end human trafficking initiatives at the end of 2024 amid federal funding cuts

The Indiana Coalition to End Sexual Assault and Human Trafficking (ICESAHT) will conclude its human trafficking initiatives effective December 31, 2024, the organization announced today. This decision comes in response to a significant decrease of funds for services at the federal level, which are impacting victim service providers like ICESAHT.

The Coalition’s sexual assault initiatives will continue uninterrupted.

ICESAHT, which is primarily funded by grants, applied for and did not receive federal funding to coordinate statewide human trafficking services and resources for 2025 and beyond. The limited federal grants for human trafficking that ICESAHT is eligible for are competitive, come with strict guidelines, and are not guaranteed from year to year. With the decreased availability of funds from Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants on the horizon, ICESAHT made the difficult decision to ensure it can sustainably and responsibly implement its budget in this uncertain environment.

“While ICESAHT is not a direct service provider for human trafficking, we played a leading role in coordinating resources and supporting the Indiana Protection for Abused and Trafficked Humans (IPATH) task force,” said Beth White, president and CEO of ICESAHT. “We remain committed to ensuring that survivors continue to receive the support they need, even as our involvement with the task force ends.”

ICESAHT will work closely with IPATH, which comprises more than 60 members, and key partners to establish a plan for future coordination of human trafficking resources and services.

ICESAHT will continue to support survivors of sexual violence and those who serve them, as the need for the Coalition and its partners in Indiana is profound. In Indiana, 60% of women have experienced sexual violence. One in three women have been raped in their lifetime, and one in four men have been victims of sexual violence in their lifetime.

Since 2022, ICESAHT has expanded the number of Rape Crisis Centers from 12 to 16, but many counties still lack access to essential services, including a Sexual Assault Response Team. ICESAHT is working with partners to establish these groups while boosting its prevention efforts.

The Department of Justice has predicted a shortfall in VOCA grant funds, which support 200 local programs in Indiana. This shortfall will result in in millions of dollars in cuts to Indiana’s award that is allocated to the projected federal budget.

Indiana’s child advocacy centers, domestic violence shelter programs and rape crisis centers have suffered from a 40% decrease in VOCA funding since 2019, which has resulted in elimination of staff, increased caseloads, and reductions in some services, especially court advocacy, community education, and economic and housing supports. The 2024 proposed federal budget includes a 42% cut from 2023 funding levels.

“In 2025, ICESAHT will take our fight for additional resources to the Indiana General Assembly,” White continued. “We have built a coalition dedicated to addressing the funding gap for victim services across the state, ensuring that all survivors, including those affected by human trafficking, receive the support they need.”

For more information on how to get involved or support ICESAHT’s efforts, visit www.protectindianacrimevictims.org.
ICESAHT HT program ending frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Human trafficking is also known as modern day slavery.

Human traffickers utilize force, fraud, or coercion to exploit the labor, services, or commercial sex acts of their victims. The $150 billion dollar industry occurs around the world and affects individuals across every socio-economic background, age-range, gender, and ethnicity.

Addressing human trafficking, from advocating for survivors to holding traffickers accountable, is complex and requires a comprehensive and collaborative approach. Fortunately for Hoosiers, the state of Indiana is dedicated, on multiple levels, to centering survivors and transforming cycles of violence.

Indiana Protection for Abused and Trafficked Humans Task Force (IPATH).

The task force was formed in 2004 after the U.S. Justice Department reported that Indiana was at high risk for human trafficking because of its specific location as a state with a number of intersecting national highways: the “crossroads of America.”

The 60+ member IPATH Taskforce is made up of individuals from federal, state, and local agencies and includes subcommittees and work groups that use a survivor-centered approach to more effectively prevent, detect, and prosecute human trafficking in Indiana and to empower and support survivors. Membership includes law enforcement, advocacy groups, service providers, worker organizers, and community leaders.