The 2025 State Human Trafficking Report, released by Allies Against Slavery, provides a robust analysis of anti-trafficking policies and federal prosecutions across all 50 states. This study illuminates both the significant progress made and the critical opportunities ahead in America's fight against human trafficking.

Policy Development and Implementation

Since 2003, states have enacted 695 anti-trafficking policies across three key areas: prevention, protection, and prosecution. While this represents substantial progress, the analysis reveals notable patterns and gaps:

• Prosecution policies have seen the quickest adoption, with most states establishing comprehensive frameworks by 2013

• Protection policies followed, achieving broad adoption by 2015

• Prevention policies, which address root causes and reduce vulnerabilities, remain significantly underdeveloped, with many states only beginning to adopt these measures in the last five years

Geographic disparities are striking - while states like Florida, Tennessee, and Washington have enacted 18 out of 20 possible anti-trafficking policies, others like Idaho have passed only 5, highlighting significant variation in state responses.

Federal Prosecution Trends

The analysis of federal prosecution data reveals several important patterns:

• Over 2,400 trafficking cases have been prosecuted since 2000

• Cases involving minor victims represent more than double the number of adult sex trafficking and labor trafficking cases combined

• California (222 cases), Florida (215 cases), and Texas (206 cases) lead in total prosecutions

• When normalized for population, South Dakota, North Dakota, Alaska, Virginia, and Rhode Island show the highest per capita prosecution rates

• A total of 4,589 defendants and 12,132 victims were identified in federal cases from 2000-2022

Key Recommendations

The report suggests several critical areas for improvement:

1. States should prioritize prevention policy adoption to create a more balanced approach

2. Greater consistency is needed in sentencing guidelines across states

3. More comprehensive screening and identification protocols should be implemented

4. Enhanced data collection and reporting mechanisms are needed

5. States with strong prosecution frameworks should focus on strengthening prevention and protection measures

This report serves as both a reflection of progress made and a roadmap for future anti-trafficking efforts. By understanding what works and where gaps exist, stakeholders can make informed decisions about resource allocation and policy priorities.

For a deeper understanding of state-specific data and detailed policy analysis, the full report provides comprehensive insights for policymakers, advocates, and researchers.

Dive into the report in our Research Hub!