WASHINGTON—Ahead of this Saturday’s World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, the House of Representatives today overwhelmingly passed critical anti-trafficking legislation—the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022—authored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ) together with Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) in a strong bipartisan vote of 401-20.
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“Today’s legislation will also reauthorize the amazing work being done by Homeland Security’s Angel Watch Center—a project mandated by my International Megan’s Law (IML) enacted in 2016,” said Smith, Co-chair of the Human Trafficking Caucus, which he co-founded 15 years ago.
“In just a few years under IML, the Angel Watch Center has made more than 19,000 notifications of planned travel by convicted sex offenders with more than 7,000 individuals who committed sex crimes against children denied travel, helping to reduce child sex tourism,” Smith said.
Among its key provisions, the Smith-Bass legislation will:
Provide more than $1.1 billion over five years to reauthorize and enhance successful programs established by Smith’s TVPA such as shelters, mental health care, education, life skills and job training;
Reauthorize Homeland Security’s Angel Watch Center codified by Smith’s International Megan’s Law (P.L. 114-119) to prevent international sex tourism travel by convicted child sex offenders;
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So, the intent behind IML is now clear – infringement (“chilling”) of the right to travel. 19,000 notices and 7,000 denials of entry, based on likely dubious and inaccurate information from Angel Watch, is no minor thing. That has likely caused millions or ten of millions of dollars in damages to registrants.
This in the backdrop that there is likely no measurable metric to determine if it has in-fact reduced any incidence of sex crime – other than a hunch and unsupported proclamation. Nor is there a significant number of convictions against U.S. citizens going to other countries for the purpose of child sex trafficking, prior to IML.
This was just a punitive measure looking for a problem to solve.
The Tenth Circuit in 2015 declined to rule revocation of a passport for delinquent tax debt a violation of the right to travel, stating that the Supreme Court has not yet recognized international travel as a fundamental right.
How many registered people have gone overseas and been caught sex trafficking children during the time mentioned above?
The house passes “anti-trafficking legislation” that they use to traffick people, brilliant! They can Label people anything they want it makes no difference. Forcing people to perform anything against their will – Trafficking is trafficking.
The page marking the bill is in my bookmarks. If there is a ever a vote scheduled in the senate, we march and fight back. Make them pay the price for their oppression. At this time it’s best to watch the enemies closely.
H.R.6552 – Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2022
Those who are in CA, you should be asking Rep Bass what her actual experiences are, with actual proof, data, etc, that she is quoted saying has driven her to do this legislation with the rep from the East Coast. I doubt she can provide any more than what he can when it comes to data and just plain old fear is used.
Nothing more than political posturing and virtue signaling. Zero proof that this is an issue it’s literally a law about nothing more than this clown and his personal crusade to ride the backs of us and an invisible horse to re-election
The real people that are traffickers are not registrants, they’re politicians like Chris Smith that are passing such controversial laws like this, otherwise why do they talk about trafficking involving children, it’s to spread fear and target registrants that have a very low recidivism rate and not the real traffickers that are out there and haven’t been caught. Trafficking is still out there but this law isn’t going to work because they’re only targeting registrants through denying them entry to other countries while the real trafficker criminals are out there. It’s saddening that registrants that have been denied entry have to watch other travellers make it into a foreign country and enjoy vacation or travel for business or for work. We all should speak up and fight this.
Unsurprisingly this passing of this new legislation runs awfully close to election season – so these political hacks are going to use it to fuel their re-election. When politicians can’t accomplish anything of merit or value for their constituents, they always aim for this low-lying fruit to show that they did SOMETHING for the people – even if it accomplishes NOTHING to stop human trafficking.
What a way to game the system. But then again that’s nothing new.
Anyone else find it amusing that Marjorie Taylor Greene voted against this? Isn’t she typically the one that screams the loudest about supposed “groomers”?
Assuming this bill becomes law (as anything imposing further obligations or restrictions on registrants usually do), I’d like to see someone revisit it after a few years to see if it made any difference.
Of course, that would also require an examination of the prevalence of child sex tourism by registrants prior to the proposal. It doesn’t look like it was done before this bill was written. I’d be willing to bet such an examination would not warrant this bill.
By “children” he means “minors” but Americans aren’t terribly good at using words correctly.
Sex trafficking suspect Matt Gaetz and sex offender wife Lauren Boebert among 20 Republicans to vote against sex trafficking law
Is this the bill that will require registration even if you live internationally?
What is trafficking today? Is it like dirty laundry. Hey nobody is proud. One racks up too many drunk drivings than thats a different situation. I have to agree a lot with many on here. Guess to government authorities if the shoe fits.
I’m pretty confused.
Can someone explain?
Many in the public don’t want us anywhere around.
And Chris Smith would like to make it illegal for us to go anywhere else.
So where is it that we are supposed to be or go??
(Oh Duh-me!! 😳😲
That’s why there are constant FTR per/pro-secutions – often with longer sentences then the original crime ….. so we can all end up forever in the one place where Chris Smith wants us: prison!! 😡)
I wonder if the wonderful “Angel” watch center sends out travel warning notices for convicted drug traffickers, convicted serial killers, convicted international jewel thieves, etc.?