National Human Trafficking Awareness Month/Wear Blue Campaign
Across North America and worldwide, people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and economic statuses are at risk of or experience sex trafficking, labor trafficking and/or exploitation. Traffickers and exploiters target individuals and communities that have unmet needs, lack of resources and experience instability.
Traffickers and exploiters often lure victims with the promise of basic needs, clothes, expensive merchandise (cell phones, cell phone minutes, jewelry, designer clothing, purses, etc..) including food, shelter, income, and transportation. Individuals that face systemic barriers due to disability, mental health, substance abuse, identity, age, language, ethnicity, and citizenship status are particularly vulnerable to trafficking.
Breaking Free, a survivor-centered anti-trafficking organization rooted in St. Paul reports that Minnesota is among the leading locations in the U.S. for child sex trafficking due to geographic location, interstate, border access, and a large demand for buying sex.
Human trafficking generates approximately $236 billion dollars a year globally or $7,500 every second. On any given weekend, it is estimated that 200-500 individuals are advertised on-line per night. (Wilder Research) The average age a child victim has been first sold is 12 years old.
January is National Human Trafficking Awareness Month. DHS Secretary Janet Napolitano first launched the Blue Campaign in 2010 as an initiative to raise public awareness, victim assistance programs, and to enhance law enforcement training.
Napolitano said, “The battle against Human Trafficking is a shared responsibility involving the Federal, State and Tribal law enforcement partners, non-profit and non-governmental organizations, governments around the world and communities across the nation.” January 11th marks the fifteenth anniversary of Wear Blue Day. Organizations across Minnesota will be hosting their own human trafficking awareness events.
Support Within Reach will be offering a Safe Harbor 101 presentation at Bemidji State University on January 20th, 2026, from 11:00-1:00 pm in the Crying Wolf room (208) located in the lower part of Hobson Union.
The session will provide an overview of trafficking and exploitation into Minnesota’s response through Safe Harbor and No Wrong Door. It will give insight into the strategies for identifying and addressing myths and stereotypes, and to learn how you can help.
Please to get involved contact the Regional Navigator in your area or see the MDH Safe Harbor website below.
You can help by showing your support in your communities. Stand up to exploitation and human trafficking and wear blue on January 11th and share it on social media with the hashtags #WEARBLUE and #TACKLINGTRAFFICKING #NOTFORSALE to show your support. Together we can spread awareness to keep our communities safe.
Remember, many people are never identified because they are not aware they are being victimized and may not understand what to look for. If you see something, say something. If you suspect exploitation or trafficking in your community, pick up the phone and call any of the following for help If you or someone you know has experienced Sexual Violence, advocates are here and ready to help you. Reach out to Support Within Reach at our 24/7 crisis hotlines: 1-800-708-2727 (Beltrami, Clearwater, Hubbard, Cass) or 1-866-747-5008 (Itasca and Aitkin). Please like, follow, and share our social media platforms, and visit our website at supportwithinreach.org.
National Trafficking Hotline 1888-373-7888 or Txt” BEFREE” to 233733
Your Call MN Hotline 1877 966 6222 or txt “Help” to 2337333
MDH https://www.health.state.mn.us/communities/humantrafficking.