US Health And Human Services Chief Says Launching Human Trafficking Task Force

WASHINGTON (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 26th January, 2022) The US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) established a task force to combat human trafficking, HHS Secretary Xavier Becerra announced on Tuesday.

"Today, I'm announcing the establishment of the HHS task force to prevent human trafficking, which will increase our coordination and collaboration across our various agencies in the department," Becerra said.

The task force will engage in prevention efforts, expand access to services and build scientific understanding of the matter, Becerra added.

The announcement was made at a meeting of the White House Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, during which members of the Biden administration reviewed their efforts to address the problem.

Becerra, Vice President Kamala Harris, Attorney General Merrick Garland, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Secretary of State Antony Blinken were among those who attended the meeting and delivered remarks.

Garland said during the meeting that the Justice Department will be submitting to Congress this week two reports on trafficking in persons for 2019 and 2020 that were not submitted by the prior administration.