The House Committee on Homeland Security’s Task Force on Enhancing Security for Special Events held a hearing focused on the threat of human trafficking connected with large international gatherings, with witnesses urging federal, state and private‑sector partners to tighten prevention and enforcement.

Chairman Michael McCall opened the hearing by saying mass gatherings such as the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics present urgent security and trafficking risks and that the task force will pursue legislative and interagency solutions. McCall framed the issue as a bipartisan priority and praised survivor‑led efforts and prior congressional work, including congressional authorization tied to DHS’s Blue Campaign, that he said strengthened federal coordination.

Jonathan Thompson, executive director and chief executive officer of the National Sheriffs’ Association, testified that large events create predictable vulnerabilities—crowds, transient populations and chaotic logistics—that traffickers exploit. Thompson recommended “multi‑layered” prevention including venue training, secure ticketing and mobile response teams, and he welcomed recent language in the House National Defense Authorization Act addressing adversarial drones at events.

Courtney Litvak, director of Survivor Leader Initiatives at No Trafficking Zone and a survivor of trafficking, described her experience being trafficked during a Super Bowl event and urged survivor‑led, trauma‑informed planning at stadiums and nearby hotels. Litvak described the NTZ “Game Over” initiative at Houston’s NRG Park as a model for transforming venues into proactive deterrence and response networks.

Yasmin Vafa, founder and executive director of Rights for Girls, pressed lawmakers to focus enforcement on buyers and demand reduction. Vafa cited research and high‑profile event operations showing spikes in online advertisements and arrests and argued that fines and buyer‑focused programs should fund victim services and deter the market that drives trafficking.

Eliza McCoy, vice president of programs and impact at the American Hotel and Lodging Association Foundation, told the task force that the lodging sector runs the No Room for Trafficking initiative and provides free training (noted during testimony as completed roughly 2.5 million times and offered in multiple languages). McCoy urged consistent cross‑sector training standards, streamlined reporting that links hotels to law enforcement and victim services, and investments in housing and specialized units.

Megan Lundstrom, chief executive officer of Polaris, said arrest tallies are not an adequate success metric and highlighted a national data gap on labor trafficking tied to mass events. Lundstrom urged DHS and Congress to build intelligence frameworks and shared data to identify risk patterns across supply chains, temporary workforce arrangements and subcontracted labor.

Members of the task force questioned witnesses on operational details and legal tools. Several lawmakers raised concerns about the vulnerability of unaccompanied minors and the need for stronger vetting of sponsors; one member cited a DHS OIG report referenced in the hearing. Witnesses pointed to gaps in prosecutorial follow‑through, noting mandatory sentencing and trafficking statutes exist but are unevenly applied.

The hearing closed with members and witnesses urging a combination of enforcement against high‑profile buyers, improved intelligence sharing, expanded survivor services and better industry training. Chairman McCall thanked the panel and adjourned the task force.

The task force accepted written statements for the record and submitted a letter from Airlines for America describing industry participation in the DHS Blue Campaign.

What happens next: Members said they will pursue legislative and procedural follow‑up with DHS, the Department of Justice and grant programs to align funding and prosecution priorities ahead of the 2026 and 2028 events.