CPAC’s International Summit Against Human Trafficking: Uniting Leaders to End Modern-Day Slavery

CPAC’s 3rd Annual International Summit Against Human Trafficking, at the U.S. Capitol, brought together global leaders, policymakers, and advocates to confront the scourge of modern-day slavery, featuring leaders such as Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, White House Border Czar Tom Homan, and House Speaker Johnson. These leaders condemned the devastating impact of lax border policies under the previous Biden Administration, which exacerbated human trafficking, and highlighted the Trump Administration’s aggressive efforts to secure the border, dismantle criminal cartels, and locate thousands of missing children. Through historic legislative advancements like the One Big Beautiful Bill and the tireless work of Homeland Security Investigations, the summit underscored a unified commitment to rescuing victims, holding traffickers accountable, and eradicating human trafficking through bipartisan cooperation and public engagement.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem condemned human trafficking as "modern-day slavery" and criticized the Biden Administration’s open border policies for enabling the largest human-trafficking operation in modern history. Noem emphasized the Trump Administration’s commitment to dismantling trafficking networks, particularly focusing on the urgent need to locate 300,000 unaccounted-for migrant children. She praised the efforts of Homeland Security Investigations officers, who face significant challenges, including attacks and doxxing, while working to rescue victims. Noem called for stronger legislative measures, such as the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, to support victims and hold traffickers accountable, aligning with CPAC’s victim-focused advocacy.

White House Border Czar Tom Homan also condemned the Biden Administration’s open border policies that he said exacerbated human trafficking, particularly affecting women and children. Homan highlighted the Trump Administration’s immediate action to strengthen border security, which he claimed has significantly reduced trafficking and is "bankrupting the criminal cartels of Mexico." He contrasted the Biden Administration’s failure to track 300,000 unaccompanied minors with the current administration’s progress in locating over 10,000 missing children, vowing to find every single one. Homan also acknowledged increased funding through the One Big Beautiful Bill, which has bolstered technological capabilities for rescuing trafficked children, reinforcing the administration’s aggressive stance against trafficking.

The Trump Administration has demonstrated that it is committed to ending human trafficking and the disastrous open border that has endangered the most vulnerable. The urgent need to reform foster care sponsor programs for unaccompanied alien children is starkly evident, as the past four years saw a surge in these vulnerable minors crossing the southern border, often released to inadequately vetted sponsors, some of whom paid smugglers or falsely claimed familial ties. This led to horrific cases of physical abuse, sexual exploitation, and forced labor, with some sponsors found possessing child sexual abuse material or committing serious crimes like attempted murder.

In February 2025, the Department of Homeland Security launched a national child welfare initiative to locate and verify the safety of these at-risk children, with ICE’s Homeland Security Investigations conducting welfare checks to ensure proper care and protection from trafficking and abuse. As ICE spokesperson Laszlo Baksay emphasized, the Trump Administration’s insistence on rigorous sponsor screening and biometric verification—dismantled by the previous administration—highlights the critical need for reform to prevent such exploitation, aligning with the summit’s call for robust policies to safeguard vulnerable children.

The summit featured other prominent figures, including Senator Marsha Blackburn and House Speaker Johnson, who underscored the importance of legislative and policy efforts in combating human trafficking. Johnson praised the One Big Beautiful Bill for securing the border and protecting victims by stopping cartels and traffickers, describing it as one of the most significant achievements of his lifetime. He endorsed CPAC’s Center for Combating Human Trafficking and stressed the need to continue fighting modern-day slavery while supporting survivors. The bill’s multifaceted approach also includes tax reductions, spending cuts, and restoring American energy dominance, but its border security measures were highlighted as critical to curbing human trafficking.

The summit served as a platform to unite global and domestic leaders in the fight against human trafficking, with a clear message of bipartisan cooperation and public engagement. Noem urged Americans to support survivor leaders and policy advocates, emphasizing a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" to eradicate this scourge. Homan’s commitment to finding missing children and dismantling cartels, combined with legislative advancements like the One Big Beautiful Bill, underscored the Trump Administration’s prioritization of victim protection and border security. The resolve of the speakers, backed by increased resources and political will, left Americans with hope for significant progress in ending modern-day slavery.