Initiative by Anti-Trafficking Leader Jaco Booyens Ministries Marks Critical Step Toward Justice

Washington, DC July 18, 2025 --(PR.com)-- Jaco Booyens Ministries (JBM), among the nation’s leading anti-trafficking nonprofit organizations, launched a bold initiative today that calls on Congress to create Specialized Human Trafficking Courts (HTCs). Advocates for the new plan believe the U.S. justice system continues to fail survivors by not prosecuting traffickers quickly or effectively, and anti-trafficking laws, funding, and public awareness campaigns are not enough.

JBM is taking a bold step with a transformative nationwide plan: Congress should establish specialized Human Trafficking Courts (HTCs) to provide quick, expert justice.

Unveiled in a groundbreaking white paper published on July 15, 2025, by JBM, with the support of its pro bono counsel at Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld, LLP, this innovative court system would feature judges with expertise to handle the unique and complex nature of human trafficking cases—both criminal and civil—ensuring faster, smarter, and more effective rulings that stop predators in their tracks and prioritize survivor well-being.

“Human trafficking cases are very complicated. The current justice system allows too many trafficking cases to slip through the cracks because of a lack of subject-matter expertise,” said Jaco Booyens, founder of JBM. “Specialized courts will eliminate unnecessary delays and missed opportunities. Survivors deserve a justice system that moves with the urgency and care their stories require.”

The proposal calls for at least one federal HTC judge to preside in every state, with multiple judges in high-volume regions like California and Texas. HTCs would have exclusive jurisdiction over all federal trafficking and trafficking-related matters. The plan also empowers state prosecutors to prosecute these federal crimes in this specialized venue through an existing cross-designation mechanism, providing states a strong tool to achieve justice where their own justice systems fall short.

HTCs are also designed to be cost-effective by using existing court infrastructure and resources. Additionally, HTCs will implement trauma-informed procedures, such as two-way video testimony, allowing survivors and witnesses to participate safely and confidently in the legal process.

“The concept of channeling hard cases that require fast resolution to specialized judges is not a new concept in American law,” says Matthew Noxsel, counsel at Akin. “For example, Congress did it in the Bankruptcy Reform Act of 1978. And states are doing it in droves by creating specialized business courts. Is justice for trafficking survivors not more worthy a cause for expertise than corporate reorganizations and botched mergers?”

This bold initiative has already secured strong backing from numerous U.S. Senators, Representatives, academics, prosecutors, investigators, and leading anti-trafficking organizations, signaling a rare bipartisan and sector-wide consensus to address this urgent national crisis. Justice is not a luxury—it is a lifeline for survivors and a safeguard for society. The United States must therefore seize this moment to revolutionize how America combats one of its darkest crimes.

https://www.jacobooyensministries.org

Contact Information:
Jaco Booyens Ministries
Jillian Anderson
3309803053
Contact via Email
https://www.jacobooyensministries.org

Read the full story here: https://www.pr.com/press-release/943676

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