FIFA World Cup preparations need unified plan to combat human trafficking

NJ GOP Assembly

Following Thursday’s Assembly Judiciary Committee hearing on human trafficking prevention in preparation for the world’s biggest soccer event coming to New Jersey in 2026, committee member Assemblywoman Victoria Flynn is calling for a more unified effort to protect fans from falling victim. 

Major sporting events like the FIFA World Cup have been associated with human rights abuses, including sex trafficking, as they attract large audiences and numerous out-of-towners, creating environments ripe for trafficking. Although it has never been officially documented, many believe that the Super Bowl is the largest sex-trafficking event in the world.

“We must be clear and resolute in showing our support for victims while ensuring swift justice for the criminals seeking to ruin and endanger lives,” said Flynn (R-Monmouth). “While the bills we passed in the Assembly Judiciary Committee today are a good start, we need an all-encompassing effort by New Jersey officials and federal, state, and local authorities to commit every available resource to fight these heinous crimes.”

Flynn supported the package of bills passed by the committee to increase state efforts to address and combat human trafficking, but emphasized the need for a coordinated response from all levels of government.

“To our federal partners and representatives, I call on them to join us in ending this modern-day form of slavery,” said Flynn. “These are complex and covert crimes, requiring a united front. By working together, we can dismantle trafficking networks, support survivors, and prevent future exploitation.”

She advocates for immediate action by the U.S. Senate to pass N.J. Rep. Chris Smith’s Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act, which reauthorizes funding for the Trafficking Victims Protection Act through 2028.

“Only through the coordinated efforts of officials, community leaders, law enforcement, and residents can we deter future trafficking and eliminate these horrendous crimes from our society. Every moment of delay subjects more innocents to a life of pain – we must all act now,” Flynn concluded.