ICE and USCIS Could Improve Data Quality and Exchange to Help Identify Potential Human Trafficking Cases

We conducted this audit to determine how human traffickers used legal means to bring potential victims to the United States. We also assessed whether improvements in data quality and exchange could help Department of Homeland Security (DHS) better identify human traffickers. Our match of ICE and USCIS data from 2005 to 2014 indicated that work and fiancé visas were the primary means by which 17 of 32 known traffickers brought victims into the United States. In addition, we determined that 274 subjects of ICE human trafficking investigations successfully petitioned USCIS to bring 425 family members and fiancés into the United States. Available data could not confirm whether or not these cases actually involved human trafficking. ICE and USCIS could improve data quality to facilitate the ability to identify instances of human trafficking.