Trump Admin Announces $100M Grant to Fight Human Trafficking
Attorney General William Barr, former NFL star Tim Tebow, and Ivanka Trump join forces
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President Donald Trump's administration has announced a massive $100 million grant to fight human trafficking.
U.S. Attorney General William Barr has joined forces with the anti-trafficking foundation run by former NFL quarterback Tim Tebow for the effort.
White House adviser Ivanka Trump hosted a roundtable with AG Barr in Atlanta on Monday to discuss the topic.
The pair welcomed Tebow to announce the huge $100M in grants to fight human trafficking, NBC reported.
Heisman Trophy winner, pro baseball player, and former NFL star Tebow and his wife, Demi-Leigh, attended the event in Georgia to announce the campaign.
The pro athlete spoke about his father’s experiences confronting human trafficking overseas as a preacher.
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The baseball player told those gathered that his father helped free several young girls from bondage while serving with his church overseas.
“You know, the reason why we got into this was because eight years ago, my dad was preaching in a remote country, and there were four girls that he was next to that were being sold,” Tebow said.
“And he took out all the money out of his wallet, which was $1,250 and he bought those four girls.
"And then he called me and said, ‘I just bought four girls and not really sure what to do now.’ and I said, ‘that’s OK, dad. we’ve got your back.”
Through his Tim Tebow Foundation, the player works with organizations worldwide to prevent human trafficking and help survivors recover from their ordeals.
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Law enforcement officials have been ramping up efforts against child trafficking in recent months.
Last month, 39 children were rescued during a major child sex trafficking bust in Georgia, with multiple arrests made in a series of raids.
Dozens of kids were saved, with nine people behind bars after an anti-sex trafficking operation - "Operation Not Forgotten" - by federal and state officials, the U.S. Marshals Service announced.
The operation was conducted in August in Atlanta and Macon and successfully tracked down 39 missing children across the state.
Earlier this month, U.S. Marshals Service also rescued another 25 children from child sex traffickers during a separate series of raids in Ohio.
Similar operations are ongoing in two other states as authorities target missing kids who may have fallen victims of sex trafficking.
Ohio's "Operation Safety Net" led to the discovery of 25 children ages 13 to 18, the Marshals Service said.
