Suozzi Highlights Human Trafficking on Long Island and Queens and Urges Federal Action in Press Conference
August 20, 2026
Co-sponsors bipartisan Preventing Child Trafficking Act and Frederick Douglas Trafficking Victim Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act to prevent trafficking, strengthen enforcement, and support survivors
Washington, D.C.—Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-NY) today held a press conference on Long Island to highlight the horrific impact of human trafficking on Long Island and Queens communities, and urge the passage of two bipartisan bills in Congress to prevent trafficking, hold traffickers accountable, and support survivors. Joined by survivors of trafficking, including NY 03 native Hollie Nadel, anti-trafficking advocates, and law enforcement from the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office Anti-Trafficking Initiative, Congressman Suozzi urged Congress to advance H.R. 1144, the bipartisan Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Act, and H.R. 6475, the bipartisan Preventing Child Trafficking Act.
“Human trafficking is not some victimless crime. Many people, often women, are being exploited, abused, and assaulted and it’s happening right here in our backyard,” said Congressman Suozzi. “We need to prevent these horrific crimes by educating the public on warning signs, focusing enforcement on the criminal enterprises that are profiting off this exploitation, and providing survivors with the tools and resources they need to move forward with their lives—which is why I’m urging Congress to advance two bipartisan bills to combat human trafficking across the country.”
As a member of the bipartisan Congressional Caucus on Combatting Human Trafficking, Suozzi advocated to advance two bipartisan bills, both of which he co-sponsors, aimed at strengthening federal efforts to combat trafficking.
Suozzi is a co-sponsor of H.R. 1144, the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPA), a bipartisan bill that would reauthorize federal anti trafficking programs through 2030 and strengthen efforts to prevent trafficking and support survivors. The legislation would provide grants to help schools identify child trafficking, help survivors of trafficking access medical, housing, and legal resources, boost international efforts to combat forced labor and sexual exploitation, and continue a program requiring convicted sex offenders to be flagged when they travel abroad.
Suozzi is also a co-sponsor of H.R. 6475, the Preventing Child Trafficking Act, a bipartisan bill that would strengthen coordination between the Department of Justice and the Department of Health and Human Services to prevent human trafficking. This bill would create the mechanism to improve collaboration between agencies on preventing child trafficking specifically.
Other speakers at the press conference included Hollie Nadel, a NY-03 native and survivor of human trafficking who now serves as Director of Advocacy and Engagement for 3Strands Global Foundation; Sheena Dume, the Advocacy Program Manager at Protect All Children from Trafficking (PACT); and Undersheriff John Becker from the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, which established the first-of-its-kind anti-trafficking unit in any jail or prison in the country. Rep. Suozzi also shared a written statement provided by Jacquelyn Aluotto, Founder and President of No Trafficking Zone.
“True change requires champions. I am incredibly grateful to Congressman Tom Suozzi for standing beside me in my pursuit of justice.” said Hollie Nadel, NY-03 native, trafficking survivor, and Director of Advocacy and Engagement for 3Strands Global Foundation. “By supporting the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act and the Preventing Child Trafficking Act, Congressman Suozzi is helping us build a future where fewer people ever have to call themselves survivors because exploitation was prevented before it began.”
“Human trafficking is not confined to one city or one neighborhood. It affects communities across Long Island, New York, and every state in our nation,” said Sheena Dume, Advocacy Program Manager at Protect all Children from Trafficking (PACT). “Thank you to Congressman Suozzi for his continued commitment to combatting human trafficking and supporting survivors.”
“Today, a trafficker does not have to stand outside a school. They can reach a child through the phone in that child's bedroom,” said Jacquelyn Aluotto, Founder and President of No Trafficking Zone. “We need to educate our children, train the adults who protect them to recognize the warning signs, and make No Trafficking School Zones a reality for all children in every community in New York. We appreciate Congressman Suozzi’s commitment to protecting our children and his leadership on such an important issue that’s impacting families on Long Island and Queens.”
“Human trafficking is an epidemic. Since the inception of our Sheriff’s Anti-Trafficking Initiative, the first jail-based anti-trafficking unit, we have identified over 400 victims and over 200 traffickers,” said Undersheriff John Becker from the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office. “Congressman Suozzi is shining a light on such a prevalent issue on Long Island and as we continue to raise awareness, the more victims we can support and the more traffickers we can stop.”
The press conference came one day after Jacquelyn Comiskey pleaded guilty in Suffolk County Court to sex trafficking a 14-year old Long Island girl who had been missing for 25 days, highlighting the prevalence of the issue in New York’s 3rd district.
On Long Island, 22 trafficking cases since 2022 showed that defendants often received sentences far below the maximum 25 years New York law allows. Meanwhile, nearly 400 spa workers have been arrested for allegedly selling sex on Long Island since 2021, while the men buying it from them have largely gone free from prosecution. As one of the most active fronts in New York’s $500 million-a-year sex trafficking industry, Long Island accounts for nearly 70% of the state’s prostitution and unlicensed massage arrests. The prominence of trafficking across Long Island underscores Congressman Suozzi’s resolve to advance federal legislation to combat these horrific crimes and support survivors.
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