Several components within DOJ,  including the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) and the Office of  Justice Programs, which includes the Office of Juvenile Justice and  Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP), the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC),  the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), and the National Institute of  Justice (NIJ), provide grants to help state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies combat human trafficking and to support  nongovernmental organizations and others in assisting trafficking victims  or conducting research on human trafficking in the United States. While Federal Agencies Generally Maintain Data on Human Trafficking Cases in Indian Country, They Do Not Maintain Data on Native American Status of Victims

		Three of the Four Investigative and Prosecutorial Agencies Maintain Data on Human Trafficking Cases in Indian Country

All four agencies that have the authority to investigate or prosecute  human trafficking in Indian country—FBI, BIA, ICE HSI, and the U.S.  Attorneys’ Offices (USAO)—are required to record in their case  management systems if a human trafficking offense was involved in the  case. Three of these agencies—FBI, BIA, and the USAOs—also record in  their case management systems whether the crime took place in Indian  country. ICE HSI  officials explained that they do not have a field for Indian  country in their  case management system because, unlike BIA and the FBI, ICE HSI is  not generally involved in criminal investigations in Indian country; rather,  ICE HSI would only conduct an investigation in Indian country if  specifically invited by a tribe to do so. Table 1  provides the number of federal human trafficking investigations and  prosecutions in Indian country, by agency, from fiscal years 2013 through  2016. Most of the Federal Investigative and Prosecutorial Agencies that Address Human Trafficking Do Not Consistently Collect Native American Status of Victims in Their Cases

Three of the four federal agencies that investigate or prosecute human  trafficking-related crimes do not require their agents or attorneys to  consistently collect or record the race or ethnicity, including Native  American status, of victims in their cases. At Least 50 Federal Grant Programs Can Be Used to Address Human Trafficking in Indian Country or of Native Americans, but Number of Native American Victims Served Is Unknown

		DOJ, HHS, and DHS Grant Programs that Address Human Trafficking in Indian Country or of Native Americans Can Be Used to Foster Collaboration and Provide Training and Victim Assistance, among Other Things

DOJ, HHS, and DHS administered at least 50 grant programs from fiscal  years 2014 through 2016 that could help address human trafficking in  Indian country or of Native Americans. However, the total number of Native American  human trafficking victims who received services under these grant  programs is unknown. DOJ and HHS Do Not Require Grantees to Report Data on the Number of Native American Victims Served

Among the 21 grant programs administered by DOJ and HHS that  allowed for the provision of victim services, the number of Native  American human trafficking victims who received services is unknown  because agencies generally did not require grantees to report the Native  American status of victims served. Also, while Native American status is generally not a factor for  determining whether a victim can receive services or relevant for current  performance measures, it may be a factor for determining how best to  assist this particular demographic. According to the 2013-2017 Federal  Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human Trafficking in the  United States, expanding human trafficking data collection and research  efforts for vulnerable populations, which include Native Americans, is an  area for improvement for the federal government. Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government state that  quality information should be used to achieve objectives based on  relevant data from reliable sources. Without  collecting data on the Native American status of victims served, federal  agencies will not know the extent to which they are achieving  government-wide strategic goals to provide and improve services to  vulnerable populations, including Native American crime victims. Recommendations for Executive Action

To help ensure that DOJ is contributing to efforts to improve data  collection and service provision to Native Americans, we recommend that:  the Director of OVW require grantees to report the number of human  trafficking victims served using grant funding, and, as appropriate, the  Native American status of those victims; and  the Assistant Attorney General for OJP direct OVC and OJJDP to  require their grantees to report the number of human trafficking  victims served using grant funding, and, as appropriate, the Native  American status of those victims. DOJ partially agreed with our recommendations.
Why GAO Did This Study

Human trafficking—the exploitation of a person typically through force, fraud, or coercion for such purposes as forced labor, involuntary servitude or commercial sex—is occurring in the United States. Traffickers seek out persons perceived to be vulnerable. Native Americans (i.e., American Indians or Alaska Natives) are considered to be a vulnerable population. DOJ, DHS, and the Department of the Interior investigate human trafficking crimes. Primarily, DOJ and HHS provide grants to fund victim services.
GAO was asked to examine Native American human trafficking. This report focuses on federal efforts to address human trafficking, including the extent to which (1) agencies collect and maintain data on investigations and prosecutions of human trafficking in Indian country or of Native Americans regardless of location and (2) federal grant programs are available to help address such trafficking, and how many Native American trafficking victims have received assistance through these programs. GAO reviewed human trafficking investigation and prosecution data from fiscal years 2013 to 2016; reviewed solicitations for human trafficking-related grant programs; and interviewed grant program officials.

What GAO Found

All four federal agencies that investigate or prosecute human trafficking in Indian country—the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA), U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), and the U.S. Attorneys' Offices (USAO)—are required to record in their case management systems whether a human trafficking offense was involved in the case. With the exception of ICE, these agencies are also required to record in their case management systems whether the crime took place in Indian country. ICE officials explained that the agency does not record this information because, unlike BIA and the FBI, ICE is not generally involved in criminal investigations in Indian country. Typically, ICE would only conduct an investigation in Indian country if specifically invited by a tribe to do so. Further, with the exception of BIA, these agencies do not require their agents or attorneys to collect or record Native American status of victims in their cases due to concerns about victim privacy and lack of relevance of the victim's race to the substance of the investigation or prosecution.
The Departments of Justice (DOJ), Health and Human Services (HHS), and Homeland Security (DHS) administered at least 50 grant programs from fiscal years 2013 through 2016 that could help address Native American human trafficking. For example, 21 of these grant programs, which were administered by DOJ and HHS, could be used to provide services to Native American human trafficking victims. However, the total number of Native American victims who received services under these grant programs is unknown. HHS is developing a data collection tool that grantees can use to report information on human trafficking victims served, including Native American status of victims. DOJ's Office on Violence Against Women (OVW) requires grantees to report Native American status of victims served, but not by type of crime. DOJ's Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention (OJJDP) do not require grantees to collect and report Native American status of victims served. However, in fiscal year 2017, OVC began providing recipients of human trafficking-specific grant programs the option to report the race or Native American status of victims served. While Native American status may not generally be a factor for determining whether a victim can receive services, it may be a factor for determining how best to assist this particular demographic. According to the 2013-2017 Federal Strategic Action Plan on Services for Victims of Human Trafficking in the United States, expanding human trafficking data collection and research efforts for Native Americans and other vulnerable populations is an area for improvement for the federal government. Additionally, Standards for Internal Control in the Federal Government states that quality information should be used to achieve objectives based on relevant data from reliable sources. Without collecting data on the Native American status of victims served, federal agencies will not know the extent to which they are achieving government-wide strategic goals to provide and improve services to vulnerable populations, including Native American human trafficking victims.

What GAO Recommends

GAO recommends that DOJ require its grantees to report the number of human trafficking victims served and, as appropriate, the Native American status of those victims. DOJ partially concurred with the recommendation. GAO clarified the recommendation and maintains action is needed.