American trafficking is unique among affluent advanced democracies because its sex trafficking victims are younger, more often native born, and more mobile. The United States, like many developing countries, is a major source country for sex trafficking victims, has sex tourism on its territory, and its native born sex trafficking victims have Hobbesian lives that are “brutish and short.” Yet many other forms of trafficking occur among the massive illegal migrant population. Despite the absence of widespread corruption and close links between traffickers and state officials, patterns of American trafficking more closely resemble those of a developing than a developed country.

The passage of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) in 2000 by the United States Congress, introduced with enormous bipartisan support, was signed by President Clinton and subsequently reauthorized under the Bush administrations in 2003, 2005 and 2007. The TVPA raised awareness of the problem, addressed prevention, facilitated prosecution, and provided resources to aid numerous victims of trafficking. The legislation combines a focus on victims’ assistance with stiff sanctions for traffickers.