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EspañolIf I think I am a victim of severe human trafficking, how do I contact law enforcement for help?
To get T visa status, you must be willing to help law enforcement, unless you were under 18 when at least one act of trafficking occurred, or you get a trauma exception. Often times you may come into contact with law enforcement while you are still being victimized, in the course of the trafficking. For instance:
- Law enforcement and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) may raid your workplace;
- Law enforcement may arrest you for prostitution or some other crime the trafficker forces you to participate in; or
- A state or federal agency may send officers to investigate workplace violations or other issues in the workplace.
If you have come into contact with law enforcement in any of these ways, you could try to find a way to safely report your situation to them. Even if the agency you report it to can’t investigate, they should know which law enforcement agency can help you and should report your situation to them.
You do not have to wait for law enforcement to find you, however. If you can safely do so, you may report your situation to law enforcement by calling:
- local police, usually by calling 911;
- a local FBI field office;
- a U.S. Attorney’s Office; or
- an immigration lawyer to help you report it to any of the above law enforcement offices.
Be aware that contacting law enforcement on your own may be risky. Some law enforcement agencies may get Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) involved. If that happens, you should ask to speak to an ICE Homeland Security Investigator specializing in human trafficking.
Since ICE’s main job is to identify, detain, and deport people who are not in the U.S. legally, you may end up detained or deported. Therefore, the safest way to report your situation is through an immigration lawyer who does human trafficking work. Use our Finding a Lawyer page to find a lawyer in your state. You can also ask one of the national immigration organization on our National Organizations - Immigration page to help find you a lawyer.
There are other ways to report your situation too. The following agencies will help you figure out what you can do in your situation and refer you to law enforcement in as safe a way as possible:
- the Civil Rights Division of the Department of Justice at 1-888-428-7581; and
- the National Human Trafficking Resource Center’s Hotline at 1-888-373-7888, or via text message to 233733, which corresponds with the letters BeFree on your phone.
It is also important to know that a significant number of trafficking victims may report their situation to law enforcement but law enforcement may decide not to investigate their case for a variety of reasons. For example, law enforcement may believe that their resources are better spent on large trafficking rings rather than one individual’s case; or on cases with more evidence. If they don’t investigate your claim, it doesn’t mean you aren’t a real victim of trafficking or that they don’t believe you. It doesn’t mean that you won’t be able to get T visa status.
How do I prove that I contacted law enforcement?
To prove you contacted law enforcement, ask them to give you or your lawyer a “law enforcement declaration,” which is also known as a “law enforcement endorsement” or “LEA declaration” on Form I-914 Supplement B. This is a statement from law enforcement saying that you have cooperated with their requests in investigating or prosecuting the case.
Getting the LEA declaration is not required, but it can be very helpful to strengthen your T visa application. However, having an LEA declaration does not guarantee that you will get T visa status. It’s possible that you can get T visa status if you show you tried to be helpful but still couldn’t get a declaration from law enforcement.1
For more information on all four requirements that you will have to prove, go to What must I prove to be eligible for T visa status?
1 8 C.F.R. § 214.204(e)
