Developing an Airport Program to Address Human Trafficking: A Guide (2023)

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Primer P A R T I

7   This Primer provides fundamental information about the ways airports are used in human trafficking. It is intended as a stand-alone synopsis of the issue for U.S. airport staff—including executives, department leads, law enforcement personnel, security and operations staff, and public-facing airport and airline workers. The Primer also serves as an introduction to a more detailed How-to Guide and an associated Toolkit. The Primer and How-to Guide in this report, together with the associated Toolkit, form a comprehensive guide for developing an airport pro- gram to address human trafficking. All materials were developed as part of ACRP Project 04-24. The Primer draws on an extensive resource review and stakeholder outreach process, which included conversations with nonprofit and advocacy groups, individuals with lived experience, and staff of federal agencies, airports, airport tenants, and aviation industry organizations. Staff interested in building a program to address human trafficking at their airport are encouraged to consult the accompanying How-to Guide and the associated Toolkit that were also developed for the project. Introduction

8 Over the last several decades, human trafficking has emerged as a public concern, stemming in part from increased globalization and the subsequent increase in transnational criminal activity. Although human trafficking is considered a global issue, its impacts are felt in local, specific, and tangible ways. All countries and communities have been touched by human trafficking, whether as an origin, transit point, or destination. Victims and traffickers are able to blend in with the local community and pass through without detection because of the hidden nature of the crime. They move through international borders and between states through bus stations, train stations, airports, and other points of transportation. Given the prevalence of human trafficking globally and locally, many entities can play a part in combating human trafficking within their organiza- tions and communities. Recognizing the need to act against human trafficking, the United States enacted the Traffick- ing Victims Protection Act (TVPA) of 2000, the first national framework on human trafficking. The TVPA defines human trafficking as: • Sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to perform such act has not attained 18 years of age; or • The recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purpose of subjection to involun- tary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery (1). In the United States, the phrases “trafficking in persons,” “human trafficking,” and “modern slavery” are interchangeable terms that refer to labor and sex trafficking. This Primer and How- to Guide use the phrase “victim of human trafficking” to describe an individual experiencing a trafficking situation and “survivor of human trafficking” or “individual with lived experience” to describe an individual who has exited a trafficking situation. While labor and sex trafficking are the broadest categories of human trafficking, there are more specific types of exploitation that may occur, including forced marriage, early marriage, sex tourism, bonded labor, domestic servitude, forced begging, and forced criminality. These and other forms of exploitation may or may not fall under the strict definition of human trafficking in the TVPA. Victims of human trafficking (and their traffickers) can be of any age, race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, socioeconomic background, or citizenship (including United States) and can have any immigration status. However, general patterns may exist. Some law enforcement experts with experience working human trafficking cases at airports have observed that labor trafficking victims are more likely to be male foreign nationals who lack documenta- tion and an understanding of U.S. labor laws. Conversely, sex trafficking victims are more likely to be domestic victims and female. It should be noted that specific data to corroborate these observations are not available, and exceptions to these patterns for both labor and sex traffick- ing certainly exist. Defining the Nature and Scope of Human Trafficking

Dening the Nature and Scope of Human Trafcking 9 It is a common misconception that human tracking is synonymous with sex tracking. Accordingly, initial anti-tracking eorts focused mainly on the sex tracking of women and children. However, research shows that labor tracking may be more prevalent than sex traf- cking, though it is discovered and has been prosecuted less frequently (2); such prosecutions typically take the form of class action rather than individual cases. Another common misconception is that human smuggling and human tracking are synon- ymous. According to the United Nations (UN), smuggling involves facilitating the illegal entry of a person across international borders for nancial or material gain (3). Tracking, on the other hand, may be transnational or domestic and involves involuntary recruitment or movement of persons for the purpose of exploitation. Smuggling is primarily a crime against a state and may involve the individual’s consent to the smuggling process, while tracking is a crime against an individual and is characterized by a lack of consent. e prevalence of human tracking is dicult to quantify given the hidden nature of the crime and available funding to assess it. Local estimates are not yet suciently nuanced, and those that are disseminated may be misquoted or represented imprecisely. For example, data may be represented as reecting tracking at large, when they may in fact represent only a spe- cic sample or type of tracking or a single country of origin. Nevertheless, several organizations are working to generate estimates of the number of human tracking victims, with the caveat that the issue may be of a larger scale than indicated by those estimates. e Walk Free Foundation, in collaboration with the International Labour Organi- zation (ILO) and the International Organization for Migration, published the Global Estimates of Modern Slavery report in 2017, which estimated that 40.3 million people were victims of modern slavery in 2016. Of those victims, 71% were female and 25% were children (4). Accord- ing to the UN, the average number of detected and reported tracking victims per country steadily increased from 2003 to 2016. is may be a result of enhanced detection and data- gathering eorts, or it may reect an increase in the incidence of tracking (2). In the United States, situations of human tracking that are identied through calls to the National Human Tracking Hotline are increasing each year (see Figure 2). ese situations are occurring across the United States, as shown in Figure 3 (5). It is important to note that National Human Tracking Hotline data are based on calls and tips made to the hotline; these do not necessarily reect the prevalence of tracking nationally. Figure 2. The National Human Trafcking Hotline reports increasing numbers of situations each year.

10 Developing an Airport Program to Address Human Trafcking: A Guide Figure 3. Reports to the National Human Trafcking Hotline in 2019 indicate the existence of human trafcking situations across the United States.

11   In the U.S., there are several key pieces of federal legislation and other initiatives related to human trafficking. The TVPA, enacted in 2000, was the first national framework aimed at pro- tecting victims of sex and labor trafficking, prosecuting traffickers, and preventing human traf- ficking both nationally and internationally. The TVPA is the basis of most efforts and initiatives to combat human trafficking in the United States. The legislation created the President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, consisting of 15 federal agencies, to coordinate government-wide efforts related to human trafficking (6). The TVPA has been amended several times in an effort to enhance the prosecution of traffickers and the protection of victims of trafficking. Most recently, the U.S. Congress passed the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2019, which authorizes funding for efforts and programs to combat human trafficking in the United States. It also requires domestic air carriers that serve the federal government to report information related to human trafficking, such as the number of personnel trained to detect and report human trafficking and the number of reports the carrier has received. Further, the FAA Extension, Safety, and Security Act of 2010 and its 2018 reauthorization both require training in how to recognize and respond to human trafficking for airline staff and frontline workers, respectively, in compliance with the inter- national standards stipulated in Article 11 of the UN Protocol to Prevent, Suppress and Punish Trafficking in Persons, Especially Women and Children, which states that “Each State Party shall adopt legislative or other appropriate measures to prevent, to the extent possible, means of trans- port operated by commercial carriers from being used in the commission of offences established in accordance with article 5 of this Protocol (7).” In addition to federal efforts, individual states are also taking action against human traffick- ing. According to a U.S. DOT Advisory Committee on Human Trafficking report, 29 states have enacted laws related to human trafficking and to the transportation sector specifically. Most of these laws intend to increase human trafficking awareness among transportation industry stake- holders as well as the general public. In California, for example, all local bus, rail, light rail, and transit agencies are required to provide employees with training to recognize and respond to human trafficking (6). The State of California offers reimbursement for training costs. The State of Georgia has mandated that Hartsfield–Jackson Atlanta International Airport (ATL) develop airport-wide human trafficking awareness campaigns. Human Trafficking Regulations

12 Airports are one of the many avenues within the transportation sector that traffickers use to conduct their illicit activities. Yet the challenges associated with quantifying the scope of labor and sex trafficking on a global or national level are only exacerbated when trying to narrow in on a specific context such as airports. According to 2018 data from the Counter Trafficking Data Collaborative—the first global data hub on human trafficking—and the number of trafficking victims assisted by the International Organization for Migration, nearly 80% of international trafficking journeys cross through official border points such as airports and land border control points (2). Polaris, the operator of the National Human Trafficking Hotline in the United States, conducted an analysis of cases reported to the hotline from January 2011 to March 2017 and found 269 cases of human trafficking that specifically referenced intersections with airlines or airports (8). Although these statistics shed some light on the connection between labor and sex trafficking and airports, no statistics provide a comprehensive and complete picture of airport trafficking’s nature and scope. Despite this, confirmed cases, survivor testimony, trafficker travel patterns, and the limited statistics that are available make it clear that victims of human trafficking and traffickers do pass through airports and will continue doing so as long as they remain undetected. Human Trafficking in an Airport Setting

13   Survivor Perspectives Account 1 My name is Niyah, and I was trafficked for almost eight years under the control of several different pimps. Throughout that time, I was through a lot of airports: Dallas/Fort Worth, Houston Hobby, Houston George Bush, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Oakland, Jacksonville, Orlando, and Miami, to name the main ones. I always flew either Southwest or Delta. My tickets were always purchased a few days in advance, and oftentimes they were organized by my pimp’s “bottom girl” but sometimes my traffickers themselves made the purchase. I usually traveled by myself. If I had newly been sold to a new pimp, then usually another one of his victims who had been with him longer came with me who could watch me. If I had been around for a while and could be trusted, I traveled by myself. When I would arrive at the airport, I would either feel very hectic, or I would be very frustrated and confused, because I might have never been to that airport before and didn’t know where I was going. I usually only had one bag with me, my carry-on bag. That way I could just get on and off the plane quickly and away from the airport without being noticed. What I wore often depended on the venue I was being trafficked from at the time, but I almost always was dressed inappropriately for the weather. One time I was arrested in another city, and they kept my ID even after I was released. I needed to fly back home, and I was able to use my bail papers to get myself on the plane. I just had to answer a few questions on the phone to make sure I was who I was claiming to be. I feel like this could have been an opportunity to ask me more questions because my arrest charges were a clear indicator that I was possibly being trafficked. My traffickers usually had me send them the money I made every day, either through wires and money orders, or peer-to-peer platforms like Cash App. That way I never had a large amount of cash on me at any time. If I did have any money on me, it would have been the money just within the last 24 hours prior to going to the airport to go home. Sometimes it was cash I hid in my wig, but other times it was a Green Dot or Cash App card in my wallet. (continued on next page)

14 Developing an Airport Program to Address Human Trafcking: A Guide Account 1 (Continued) I think a lot about how many people probably saw that something wasn’t right when I was traveling, but they didn’t say anything. A lot of people feel it is important to mind their own business, not stare or ask questions. I’ve been in airports before and people around me could absolutely see by how I was dressed or the bruises on my face that something wasn’t right. But I don’t think people wanted to ask because they felt uncomfortable, or they didn’t know what to do if I had said I needed help. I’ve seen girls like me in the airport too—they’re following someone around like a puppy dog or looking at someone for every answer to every question, or like they can’t make their own decisions about where to sit or what to eat or purchase before a flight, or they stay off away from everyone else waiting for the same flight. I think there are lots of ways for airports and airport personnel to get involved in reducing and responding to trafficking. I feel like there is a way that tickets could be tracked, like some type of code. A confirmation or a keyword and it connected all the tickets purchased from the same bank account or by the same person. That’s one way you could know if a trafficker was flying different girls across the country. You’d know that something else might be going on there. Really, the most impactful thing is for airports to let us know that you see us and that you are aware of what is going on. That would be perfect. To know that people care about us and can help us. Account 2 “I often wonder how that day might have been different if someone at the airport or on board the aircraft knew how to relate to that young woman. . . . When airport employees know the warning signs to watch for, the questions to ask, and the simple steps they can take to make people feel safe, they can make a big difference in the lives of people who are trafficked.” —Rebekah Covington, survivor of human trafficking December is typically a month full of joy and holiday celebrations for many people across the United States. But in 2005, my December was far from joyous. Right before the holidays that winter, I experienced traumatic events that led me to be trafficked outside of my hometown and over state lines through public transportation. Boom! I woke up to the sounds of explosions at 3:00 a.m. as the SWAT team raided the house where a trafficker kept us. The girls and I were immediately separated from the trafficker and taken by van to be questioned at a local precinct. As the police interrogator asked us if we were being forced to sell sex for money, we all had the same rehearsed response saying, “We are doing this

Survivor Perspectives 15 Account 2 (Continued) on our own accord.” All of us were too scared to say anything. We lived in fear for our lives because of the violence we had seen and experienced from the trafficker. We were all released due to lack of evidence after 72 hours, including the release of the trafficker. The airport was the next place we all saw as the trafficker booked us flights to Las Vegas. I can clearly remember walking into the airport with the other women—carefully following his commands. We were not to engage in conversation with anyone, told not to make eye contact with any individual, and we were provided with a lie to tell if we were asked about our travels. As we boarded the plane and found our seats one of the girls being trafficked started hysterically crying and shaking with anxiety. The flight attendant walked over and asked her if she was okay. The girl replied that she was just deathly afraid of flying, which was not true at all. The truth was that she wanted so badly to ask for help so she could get away—but felt trapped—with the trafficker watching our every move. Throughout the flight, the young girl caused enough commotion that the passengers in the back of the plane were staring at us and wondering what the problem was. A bystander got up and sat next to her, consoling her throughout the flight as she continued to cry uncontrollably. The girl never felt safe to tell anyone what she was experiencing because she was never separated from the other girls to access help. She feared for her life, as did we all. Have you ever witnessed something like this? What was your gut telling you? What might you have said to this young girl if you were there that day? Sometimes it only takes a few encouraging words to create a feeling of trust with another person. I often wonder how that day might have been different if someone at the airport or on board the aircraft knew how to relate to that young woman. Some of the signs of human trafficking may be elements of control, physical injury, confusion of surroundings, anxiety, or fear. Anyone who works at an airport or in the aviation industry can come across a potential victim of human trafficking, as traffickers often use public transportation as a means to transport and exploit individuals. When airport employees know the warning signs to watch for, the questions to ask, and the simple steps they can take to make people feel safe, they can make a big difference in the lives of people who are trafficked.

16 Victims of human trafficking are present at airports for a wide variety of reasons. Some may be in the presence of their traffickers, who are moving them from one location to the other, while others may be traveling of their own accord, unaware that the job opportunity at the end of their journey is not legitimate. Some may even be employed by one of the many entities that conduct business at the airport. In all of these cases, awareness of the indicators that signal a trafficking situation can aid in identifying potential cases and initiating reporting protocols to address situations appropriately. Figure 4 highlights labor and sex trafficking indicators applicable in an airport context. These indicators were selected through an extensive review of resources and engagement with stakeholders, including survivors, training providers, legal experts, and law enforcement personnel. They have been reviewed by human trafficking subject matter experts and by air- port security and law enforcement staff. The list is therefore recommended by this guide as an authoritative resource on human trafficking indicators for an airport audience. Airports may wish to work with local survivors and other experts to tailor the list. It is imperative to contextualize any set of indicators so that readers understand their value as well as their limitations. There is no perfect set of indicators to identify human trafficking victims because such indicators vary depending on the specific situation and on the type of victim. They also vary by region of the country, so the indicators listed may need to be tailored to reflect the local context. Observers need to be keenly aware of their own biases when identify- ing potential victims and to recognize that behavior-based indicators and pattern recognition are far more constructive than appearance-based indicators. No trafficking indicator or set of indicators constitutes definitive proof of a trafficking situa- tion. Indicators should be evaluated in context. For instance, some indicators—taken on their own—could represent typical behaviors of a child (such as not having control of travel docu- mentation or money). Victim behaviors can also vary based on how long the victim has been with their trafficker. Someone who has been with a trafficker for a short period of time may show the most fear and anxiety, while those with longer histories may be highly submissive and be defensive of their trafficker. Indicators serve as a reference point when evaluating whether a situation could involve human trafficking, but no list will be perfect or comprehensive. Some commonly cited indicators, such as branding or bar code tattoos, are rare or present in a loca- tion on the victim’s body that would be unnoticeable by someone at an airport. Some indicators should never be used as a sign of human trafficking, such as a parent or guardian being of a dif- ferent race than their child. Indicators of Human Trafficking at Airports

Indicators of Human Trafcking at Airports 17 Figure 4. Indicators of labor and sex trafcking in an airport setting.

18 Following are several important considerations that airport staff and stakeholders who hope to combat human trafficking in airport settings should be aware of. (1) Take a victim-centered, survivor-informed approach: Every effort to address human traf- ficking in an airport setting should be victim-centered (putting the needs, concerns, and rights of victims at the forefront of all actions) and survivor-informed (acknowledging the unique perspectives of survivors with relevant expertise). Airports should be sensitive to the potential impacts of their efforts on victims and survivors and prioritize their safety and health. Airports should follow a do no harm approach in which airport staff members care- fully and intentionally avoid causing harm to themselves or to the potentially trafficked victim or their trafficker. Additionally, staff who respond to potential cases of human trafficking should be careful not to have a negative impact on the trust or emotional state of the poten- tially trafficked victims or traffickers in question. Airport employees should be instructed not to confront a potential perpetrator but rather to immediately follow prescribed report- ing protocols. Survivor-informed protocols will help to prepare airport staff and their stake- holders to respond appropriately to potential cases. Note that in some circumstances, it is acceptable not to intervene in a suspected trafficking situation. For adults, simply providing them with one of the available hotline numbers, contact information for local community groups or victim advocates, or other supporting resources may be the best victim-centered approach. This is because providing someone with the agency to report their situation on their own terms can help them break out of a pattern of victimization. However, for potential child victims there is more urgency to act on their behalf—in addition to legal liability due to mandated reporting laws in most states. (2) Start small and build momentum: Airport staff should not feel that they have to do every- thing at once to combat human trafficking. Some airports may need to start small, with a bite-sized approach that focuses first on low-effort, high-return activities, rather than tack- ling the entire problem. Potential starting points include working first with public-facing employees and undertaking basic awareness-raising activities to start a discussion and a dialogue on human trafficking; working with local partners; identifying relevant indicators and a clear reporting protocol; signing a proclamation with sister agencies or federal agencies; and thinking through the fundamental support needs of victims. (3) Leverage partners: Working with partners to combat human trafficking will strengthen and amplify an airport’s approach and increase the likelihood of successful outcomes. Local com- munity groups and victim advocates that are victim-centered and survivor-informed are the most critical for informing airport approaches to combating human trafficking. Additionally, private sector businesses, human trafficking survivor-focused hotlines, local and national nongovernmental organizations, emergency response and law enforcement agencies, educa- tional institutions, and faith-based groups are all examples of partners that can be useful for Important Considerations for Airport Staff

Important Considerations for Airport Staff 19 airports to engage with (9). Airports may also find it beneficial to participate in interstate task forces and working groups to share information on active human trafficking cases in order to prevent similar situations in other locations. (4) Be aware of data limitations: Capturing and tracking data related to human trafficking is extremely challenging, and accurate data on cases are very limited, particularly those involv- ing airports. However, data specific to airports in some locations may be available from nonprofit entities such as Polaris or The Avery Center. Where they exist, these data could be useful for decision-making. Airports should also be mindful when developing trafficking- related metrics. Metrics are important for program evaluation but should be chosen care- fully. For example, instead of using arrest metrics as a measure of program success, airports should choose victim-centered metrics, such as referrals to aftercare support. As a measure of program success, airports can also track the total number of employees and stakeholders trained or the number of training events hosted.

20 Many employees within an airport or airline setting have a role to play in addressing human trafficking, no matter their level of authority. In fact, the customer-facing staff of the airport, air- lines, concessionaires, or other tenants may be in the best position to identify and report possible cases of human trafficking. In commercial service airports, custodial staff, bathroom attendants, baggage handlers, skycaps, retail associates, food vendors, and information desk staff all have a role to play. In general aviation (GA) areas of airports, fixed-base operator (FBO) staff, such as ramp agents and flight crew members, may have the most interaction with customers and therefore have the most potential to identify possible victims of human trafficking. Examples of possible actions that staff in various functions at an airport can take to combat human trafficking are provided in Table 1. Roles and Responsibilities of Airport Personnel and Other Stakeholders

Roles and Responsibilities of Airport Personnel and Other Stakeholders 21 Stakeholder Function Rationale Example Roles Airport management Engage directly with airport staff and tenants or concessionaires to disseminate information; are responsible for establishing and following procedures; and coordinate resources across departments to comprehensively address human trafficking  Provide strategically placed information for victims (e.g., in bathroom stalls)  Initiate a public awareness campaign at the airport (e.g., public service announcements)  Establish human trafficking training—potentially as part of badge requirements and tenant lease agreements  Coordinate with local community groups or nonprofits to establish mechanisms for victim support  Ensure clear reporting protocols with airport law enforcement agencies and other partners  Consider assigning resources for the development of an overarching organizational plan or strategy Airport law enforcement, security, and operations personnel Human trafficking incidents are typically reported to law enforcement or security personnel to coordinate with appropriate authorities on a response; airport operations employees are well- positioned to notice potential human trafficking cases within an airport setting  Ensure that personnel are trained in victim-centered, trauma-informed interdiction, including resources and connections to basic victim support and aftercare, and visa opportunities for certain victims per the TVPA  Coordinate with local law enforcement and federal partners [e.g., Department of Homeland Security (DHS), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), Customs and Border Protection (CBP)] to establish communication channels and interdiction protocols  Consider additional training for dedicated airport detectives to specialize in appropriate human trafficking investigation techniques. These officers could also engage with relevant DHS sex and labor trafficking task forces  Provide access to soft (non-threatening, safe space) interview rooms  Provide victims with access to interpreters, if needed  Build relationships with local community advocates to help victims access emergency housing and other resources Airline and airline support personnel Are highly customer facing, both during flights and within the airport terminal; ticket counter agents, gate agents, flight crews, and other customer service staff can observe potential trafficking suspects and victims and can coordinate with airport staff on protocols for addressing human trafficking  Establish open communication channels with airport staff and airport law enforcement personnel in case of a potential incident  Ensure that customer-facing staff are trained on human trafficking indicators and reporting protocols  Consider providing lanyard hang tags and wallet-sized reference cards to staff that list the most common trafficking indicators as well as hotline information  Consistently share policies and information among airport and airline personnel to address potential incidents  Consider providing complimentary flights home for victims Tenants, concessionaires, and contractors Employees interact with potential suspects and victims; can establish internal protocols for addressing human trafficking that support airport efforts  Establish human trafficking training as part of badge requirements or the onboarding process  Ensure that employees clearly understand how to respond to a potential human trafficking incident  Encourage employees to attend awareness-raising events or undertake any voluntary training provided  Provide strategically placed information for victims (e.g., in bathroom stalls) Table 1. Example roles for selected airport stakeholders.

22 No matter the airport size or the amount of funding available, every airport can pursue some level of action against labor and sex trafficking and help raise awareness of the issue. ACRP Project 04-24 developed a phased framework to help airports create and evolve their own pro- grams to address human trafficking (see Figure 5). Each phase of the framework builds on earlier phases as an airport’s program evolves over time and as additional, enhanced action steps are taken. The framework is intended to be tailored to an airport’s type, size, resource levels, and experience tackling human trafficking. Phase 1: Foundational Program. For airports just starting out, the foundational program phase covers the “low-hanging fruit” action steps that airports can implement to make an imme- diate difference in a cost-effective way. These include determining program staffing (for example, assigning a lead airport staff person, getting leadership buy-in, and identifying internal stake- holders); identifying partnerships [for example, with one or more local victim-centered nonprofit organizations that support labor and sex trafficking victims and survivors, or with a local Depart- ment of Homeland Security (DHS) victims advocate]; selecting tailored, regionally-specific indi- cators for victim identification; ensuring clear and consistent reporting protocols for staff and the traveling public; developing a process to provide a foundational level of victim support; imple- menting a basic awareness program at the airport; providing training for key staff who work in a customer-facing role; and identifying possible funding and resources for program development. Phase 2: Expanded Program. The next phase expands on the earlier action steps to build out the airport’s program. An airport can undertake a needs assessment related to human trafficking at its facilities; develop a more formal organizational plan or strategy on human trafficking (perhaps in conjunction with other agencies or partners in the region); issue an airport policy on human trafficking; formalize roles and responsibilities of airport stakeholders; implement a more advanced awareness program covering additional stakeholders or featuring more involved awareness- raising activities; expand training to secondary staff; develop a clear interdiction protocol and formalize jurisdictional coordination for law enforcement officers and other personnel; and begin data collection efforts to identify trends. Phase 3: Comprehensive Program. Airports wishing to go further can explore several addi- tional action steps. They can provide enhanced victim support and aftercare (perhaps as part of a contractual arrangement with a community partner); support recovery opportunities; under- take more sophisticated data sharing and analysis on efforts combating human trafficking; and develop mechanisms for program evaluation to foster a spirit of continual improvement. The phased framework and associated action steps described provide the basis of the How-to Guide and Toolkit developed under the ACRP Project 04-24. The How-to Guide is structured around the phased framework and action steps, presents detailed information on each step, and Developing an Airport Program to Address Human Trafficking

Developing an Airport Program to Address Human Trafficking 23 highlights relevant case studies of prior events at airports. It also discusses ways to leverage part- ners across the action steps and covers GA and small airport considerations. The associated Tool- kit, which includes a menu of tools, templates, checklists, training programs, and other helpful resources can be found on the National Academies Press website at nap.nationalacademies.org by searching for ACRP Research Report 249: Developing an Airport Program to Address Human Trafficking: A Guide. Figure 5. Phased framework for an airport program to address human trafficking.

24 All airports are on a spectrum in terms of the actions that have been implemented toward combating human trafficking and the degree to which a comprehensive program exists. While airports may differ in these regards, there are important lessons that can be learned from exam- ining current practices at other airports. Following are some examples of airports working to address this critical issue. Teterboro Airport, New Jersey. Teterboro Airport is a GA airport operated by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ); it serves a large number of private aviation charter companies. As a busy corporate airport, it has participated in awareness-raising cam- paigns through the use of informational posters and signs in public locations (such as restrooms); the distribution of Blue Lightning Initiative (BLI) materials; and a mandatory training program for some employees. Teterboro Airport has used monthly meetings with its tenants to raise aware- ness among staff. Teterboro has also allowed the DHS to set up informational tables to raise public awareness of the issue. Reno–Tahoe International Airport, Nevada. The Reno–Tahoe International Airport (RNO) is a commercial service airport with nonstop service to 22 cities, primarily within the United States. To raise awareness, it has implemented mandatory training against human trafficking for every new employee. RNO collaborated with the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) to film a training video for its employees that covers a range of topics, including indicators of human trafficking. RNO is also working to train all of its current badged employees on the issue of human trafficking. RNO worked with The Children’s Cabinet (its local Safe Place agency) to develop a safe space program at the airport; the program involves placing stickers around the airport and facilitating access to social services. San Antonio International Airport, Texas. SAT is a commercial service airport with non- stop service to 53 destinations in the United States and Mexico. The airport is working with a DHS specialist in victim assistance to develop a framework to respond to cases of human trafficking at the airport. The airport has a list of external partner resources with which to engage for victim support when responding to human trafficking situations. SAT also has a social worker from DHS available and on call to provide victim support. The airport provides a response and support system through ChildSafe; it includes an officer from the San Antonio Police Department’s Special Victims Unit. SAT distributes DHS materials to the public and to potential victims of human trafficking. The airport also has a committee on human trafficking comprised of a survivor of human trafficking, representatives from the airport’s safety and operations departments, the airport police, and airport tenants. Seattle–Tacoma International Airport, Washington. Seattle–Tacoma International Air- port (SEA) is a large commercial service airport with nonstop service to 91 domestic and Example Practices at Airports

Example Practices at Airports 25 28 international destinations. The Port of Seattle, which owns and operates the airport, has a com- prehensive program for combating human trafficking. It began implementing actions to fight human trafficking in 2007, with internal policies formally developed in 2018 that include a Port-wide strategy to train all employees on how to become aware of human trafficking, identify its victims, promote access to services, decrease demand for human trafficking through aware- ness, and prevent and eradicate it. The airport is working with Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking (BEST) to develop a comprehensive plan, including the release of the #NotAlone Campaign, through which the Port of Seattle has placed posters in the facility to help victims self- identify and seek help. The Port of Seattle has also developed a set of resources that is available to all employees and the public that includes information about the issue and contact information for the National Human Trafficking Hotline and law enforcement agencies (10). Resources Airport practitioners draw from a variety of resources to address human trafficking. Some of the most common include: • Blue Campaign (DHS) • Blue Lightning Initiative (DHS and U.S. DOT) • Human Trafficking Prevention at Airports Online Training Course (AAAE) • Combatting Human Trafficking Handbook (Airports Council International) • Anti-Human Trafficking In-Person Training (Airline Ambassadors International) • Anti-Human Trafficking Public Service Announcements (A21) • National Human Trafficking Hotline (Polaris) • U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Tip Line (DHS)

26 Airports have the opportunity to be part of the solution to human trafficking. The guide and Toolkit developed under ACRP Project 04-24 equip airports with the information and resources needed to develop tailored action plans for combating human trafficking. All airports, regardless of size, geography, types of aircraft operations, and other contextual factors, are encouraged to refer to the guide and Toolkit to initiate or enhance actions to address human trafficking. For More Information