Several cities in North America will host World Cup matches in 2026 including AT&T Stadium in Arlington, but police and non-profits are starting to plan now for how to prevent human trafficking during the tournament.
US Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) visited a non-profit in Dallas this week to celebrate the reauthorization of a law that aims to stop human trafficking. Cornyn introduced the "Abolish Human Trafficking Act" in 2017, and this month, a bill was signed into law extending the measure through 2027.s.
The Abolish Human Trafficking Act provides confidentiality protections for victims and funding for non-profits to help victims recover. The measure also supports law enforcement operations to stop trafficking, including focused attention on online threats and funding for cybersecurity.
"You need the human resources, you need people who've been through this terrible experience who can courageously tell their story and give other people a sense of hope and optimism for their future," Cornyn says. "But you also need the professionals who provide safety, security and education."
The law also aims to ensure human traffickers cannot use the bankruptcy process to avoid accountability and increases punishment for those found guilty of conspiracy.
Organizations including the Major Cities Chiefs Association, National Criminal Justice Association and Fraternal Order of Police have endorsed the law.
"[Human trafficking] is especially prevalent in Dallas because we sit at the crossroads of several major freeways," says Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot.
Nonprofits say 400 teens are sold into trafficking in Dallas every night, and $99 million is spent on the trade in Dallas each year. They say those numbers are likely even higher but some cases may not be reported. Texas has the second most human trafficking cases in the country.
Dr. Tonya Stafford, a trafficking survivor who now works with victims, says 90% of girls who are trafficked had been previously abused, but she says nonprofits are also seeing more boys who are being trafficked.
"Human trafficking looks like all of us," she says. "I provide hope to those who didn't see hope, who didn't even see the possibilities."
Stafford urges parents to monitor their kids' cell phone use to ensure they are not using apps that could lead to them being sold into trafficking.
"We have a lot of girls who were doing a lot of work on OnlyFans, so they were getting paid," she says. "One of them we are advocating against right now is Discord. You can be very cautious, visible and present about that app."
The organization, New Friends New Life, says the average girl who enters trafficking is just 15 years old.
"What you're seeing here is an all hands on deck moment, and sadly, there probably will never be enough resources to deal with all of these challenges," Cornyn says.
Cornyn says local, state and federal law enforcement work together to prevent and prosecute trafficking. He says that coordination is necessary because Texas hosts so many large events that draw an international crowd, including the Super Bowl in Arlington in 2011 and in Houston in 2017.
"The Super Bowl is one of the biggest human trafficking events of the year, which is shocking and sad," he says.
Cornyn says non-profits and police departments are already starting to plan for the World Cup in 2026 when matches will be played at AT&T Stadium.
"This is not just a local phenomenon," he says. "There is interstate trafficking in humans, even international."
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