First Lady Cecilia Abbott Delivers Remarks During “Be the One” Human Trafficking Awareness Presentation At Luling High School

First Lady Cecilia Abbott today delivered remarks at Luling High
School as part of a human trafficking awareness presentation for junior
and senior students. The First Lady urged students to talk to their
parents, their teachers, or a trusted adult about human trafficking. She
also discussed ways to report human trafficking and other dangers in
the community with students, including the National Human Trafficking
Hotline.

The presentation featured the "Be the One"
video produced by the Office of the Texas Attorney General, which
provides an understanding of what human trafficking is from a young
survivor’s perspective, identifies red flag indicators of human
trafficking, and educates on methods of reporting suspected trafficking
to authorities. 

"The State of Texas will never tolerate the horrors of human
trafficking, and we are committed to eradicating this heinous crime once
and for all," said the First Lady. "Every Texan has the power to help
us stop this horrible cruelty. It only takes one person to listen, to
see the signs, and to ask for help." 

The First Lady is a long-time advocate in the fight against human
trafficking, often partnering with the Child Sex Trafficking Team in the
Governor's Public Safety Office on a variety of initiatives. Most recently,
the First Lady attended the White House Human Trafficking Summit, and
met with federal officials to discuss Texas' efforts to combat human
trafficking. 

First Lady Cecilia Abbott Delivers Remarks At TxDOT Human Trafficking Awareness Event In Austin

First Lady Cecilia Abbott today delivered remarks at the Texas Department of Transportation's (TxDOT) human trafficking awareness event in Austin. In her remarks, the First Lady emphasized the important role that every Texan has in identifying, responding to, and preventing human trafficking across the state. 

"Texas continues to be a leader in the fight against human trafficking thanks to agencies like TxDOT who do their part to protect the vulnerable, help survivors recover, and bring traffickers to justice," the First Lady said. "Nothing on earth is more powerful than Texans helping Texans, and if we continue to join together to protect and defend the victims of human trafficking, I have no doubt that we will eradicate this heinous crime once and for all." 

Today's TxDOT human trafficking awareness event, in partnership with the Texas Governor's Commission for Women and the Texas Attorney General's Office, trained employees on identifying human trafficking and how to respond within their daily exposure to the public and while carrying out transportation operations. The event is an expansion of their "On The Road to End Human Trafficking" program, which seeks to raise awareness among employees, industry partners, and the public.

TxDOT is joining a statewide effort to encourage everyone to know, watch for and report signs of human trafficking. This horrific crime affects more than 300,000 people in Texas at any given time, including 79,000 youth victims of sex trafficking. Your involvement will be critical to our “On the Road to End Human Trafficking” initiative.

To raise awareness among employees, industry partners and the public, we are providing the following materials:

• Information cards for all TxDOT vehicles.
• Wallet cards that include details on what to look for and how to report suspected trafficking.
• Large posters.
• Restroom stall signs for our Safety Rest Areas and Travel Information Centers throughout the state.