In his 2026 message for the 12th Day of Prayer and Awareness of Against Human Trafficking, Pope Leo XIV wrote:
Geopolitical instability and armed conflicts create fertile ground for traffickers to exploit the most vulnerable, especially displaced persons, migrants and refugees. Within this broken paradigm, women and children are the most impacted by this heinous trade. Furthermore, the widening gap between the rich and the poor forces many into precarious circumstances, leaving them susceptible to the deceptive promises of recruiters. [8 February 2026]
Have we not seen efforts of our own United States Government contribute to this geopolitical instability? The present war in Iran, the war in Ukraine, and the conflict in Gaza have contributed to geopolitical instability. While admittedly the United States is not solely responsible for these conflicts, it “holds more cards” than any other nation in resolving conflicts. While admittedly the United States is not solely responsible for these wars, the USA “holds more cards” than any other nation in resolving the conflicts. Have we not squandered opportunities to resolve them?
No doubt the widening gap between the rich and the poor has been exacerbated by the massive elimination of United States aid to other countries that commenced in January 2025. Oxfam, an international non-governmental organization, states:
The effect of these cuts on people is dire: At least 23 million children stand to lose access to education, and as many as 95 million people would lose access to basic healthcare, potentially leading to more than 3 million preventable deaths per year.
Some even suggest that the extensive Ebola outbreak in the Congo and Uganda has been fueled by massive cuts in US aid.
And so, it appears as though at least some of the root causes of human trafficking lie in policies and practices of our own US Government. These policies and practices will only change when individuals, at all levels of government, are willing to work for “the geopolitical and economic stability of all.”
In last month’s AEHT reflection, Sr. Ann Scholz, SSND, PhD, suggests that advocacy “challenges a fractured world to look past borders of nation, race, and class and to reject the economy that commodifies human beings.” Our challenge today is that many currently holding political office are not the least bit interested in working for “the geopolitical and economic stability of all.”
The 2026 midterm elections provide an opportunity to elect national, state, and local leaders who are committed to the common good and are willing to alleviate poverty and other forms of injustice, locally and around the world. If we are going to diminish the incidence of sex and labor trafficking in the USA and around the world, the priorities of the US Government need to change. We need a US Congress that is responsive to those in need and willing to address the urgent issues raised by the Epstein files. Get out to vote and get others out to vote! Click HERE for resources on the midterm elections.
