New Hampshire Human Trafficking Task Force Gets $2M DOJ Grant

Human trafficking is no longer a hidden epidemic in New Hampshire—it’s a full-blown crisis feeding off addiction, poverty, and systemic gaps in law enforcement response. Since 2013, at least 23 investigations into forced labor and sex trafficking have been launched across the state, many tied directly to the opioid surge ravaging rural towns and urban centers alike. Victims, often ensnared in addiction, are coerced into sexual servitude through the threat of withdrawal, violence, or abandonment—trapped in a cycle prosecutors call ‘modern-day slavery.’

Today, U.S. Attorney Emily Gray Rice confirmed the formation of the New Hampshire Human Trafficking Task Force, backed by a federal grant from the Department of Justice. The funding, part of a $49 million national initiative across 25 states, will fuel victim services, criminal investigations, and prosecutions aimed squarely at dismantling trafficking networks. Though the exact grant amount for New Hampshire wasn’t disclosed, sources confirm it exceeds $2 million—money that will now move through a coalition of agencies laser-focused on rescue, recovery, and justice.

The task force was born from a May 2016 joint application submitted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, Manchester Police Department, Child and Family Services of New Hampshire, Homeland Security Investigations, and the nonprofit Give Way to Freedom. Erin Albright of Give Way to Freedom authored the proposal, which outlined a victim-centered, trauma-informed strategy to identify survivors and prosecute offenders. The Department of Justice approved the grant in late September, but funds remain locked pending final compliance checks and operational readiness reviews.

Rice didn’t mince words: ‘Human trafficking is often associated with larger metropolitan areas like New York, Los Angeles, and Boston—but it happens in New Hampshire, and with increasing frequency.’ She emphasized that many victims are minors or battling severe substance abuse, making them easy prey for traffickers who exploit desperation. ‘Our prosecutors are committed to collaborating with law enforcement and NGOs to provide services for victims and hold accountable those profiting from these terrible crimes,’ Rice stated.

The task force roster reads like a statewide emergency response network: the New Hampshire Department of Justice, Hillsborough County Attorney’s Office, police departments from Nashua, Portsmouth, Hampton, and Salem, New Hampshire State Police, Merrimack County Sheriff’s Office, and the NH Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Federal partners include the U.S. Department of Labor’s Wage and Hour Division and Office of the Solicitor. Victim support comes from Granite State Children’s Alliance, Merrimack County Advocacy Center, Crisis Center of Central New Hampshire, and the YWCA.

Details on the official launch, including funding allocation and initial enforcement targets, will be released in December. Until then, investigators are building databases, training frontline responders, and mapping known trafficking routes—especially along I-93 and near border towns where transient populations make exploitation easy. One thing is clear: New Hampshire is no longer looking away. The fight against human trafficking has begun in earnest—and it’s hitting close to home.

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