Data is essential to understanding human trafficking patterns, yet no single dataset captures the full scope of the issue. This presentation demonstrates how integrating multiple data sources can provide a more comprehensive and actionable understanding of trafficking at the state level. Drawing from Allies Against Slavery’s 2026 State Human Trafficking Report, this session will synthesize insights from five complementary datasets: state policy data, federal prosecution data, National Human Trafficking Hotline data, online commercial sex advertisements, and illicit massage business indicators. First, the presentation will introduce the importance of a multi-dataset approach, highlighting how each dataset captures a different dimension of trafficking, including legal frameworks, enforcement activity, victim reporting, and market dynamics. Together, these data sources create a more complete picture than any single dataset alone. Second, the session will describe the methodology used to collect, validate, and structure each dataset, including systematic search, sorting, and staging processes, as well as standardized coding approaches that ensure comparability across states and over time. Third, the presentation will highlight key national and state-level trends, including variation in policy adoption, disparities in prosecution patterns, shifts in hotline reporting, and indicators of demand and venue-based exploitation. Visualizations will illustrate how these patterns intersect and diverge across datasets. Finally, the session will demonstrate how integrating these datasets supports more informed decision-making for policymakers, practitioners, and researchers. It will highlight practical use cases, including identifying gaps in prevention efforts, aligning resources with emerging trends, and strengthening coordinated responses to human trafficking.
Eva Garrido is a PhD student at Trinity College Dublin and researcher at Allies Against Slavery, where she leads the interpretation and analysis of human trafficking data. She managed the federal prosecutions data project, coding and reviewing cases, conducting research, and writing the resulting academic paper. Her work enhances data transparency and informs evidence-based policymaking.
Maddie Moffett combines legal and data analytics expertise to support data-informed advocacy at Allies Against Slavery. A former real estate attorney at Husch Blackwell, she led anti-trafficking research projects with SMU Law and draws on seven years of experience to ensure Lighthouse accurately reflects human trafficking trends and patterns.