For more than 20 years, United Against Human Trafficking (UAHT) has been on the front lines of one of the most urgent human rights crises in the country. Founded in Houston in 2005, the organization has grown from a coalition of passionate advocates into a leading agency in the Greater Houston Area.
Since its founding, UAHT has served more than 272,000 individuals through three core pillars: preventing exploitation, educating the community, and empowering survivors.
VIEW THE FIFA WORLD CUP 2026™ HOUSTON HOST COMMITTEE HUMAN RIGHTS ACTION PLAN SUMMARY
Scale of human trafficking
Human trafficking is not a distant problem. It is happening in Houston — and across Texas — every day.
According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, 10,227 cases were reported across the United States in 2024 alone. Globally, the International Labour Organization reports 24.9 million people are victims of trafficking worldwide.
Traffickers use force, fraud, and coercion to exploit people for commercial sex or forced labor. Their tactics range from physical restraint and debt bondage to fake job offers and false romantic relationships. For survivors, the effects do not end with escape — trafficking can disrupt their ability to find employment and safe housing. It can also strain relationships and prevent them from building trust.
Preventing exploitation
UAHT’s prevention work starts with youth. The organization has reached more than 27,500 young people through awareness programming since 2016, equipping teens with the knowledge to recognize the signs of trafficking and avoid exploitation.
Informed youth are less likely to fall victim to traffickers’ tactics, which often include intimate partner or marriage propositions, false promises of jobs or housing, and recruitment through social networks. UAHT also helps community members identify red flags — such as someone accompanied by a controlling person, evidence of physical or mental abuse, or a lack of identification — so trafficking can be spotted and reported before it escalates.
UAHT shares some risk factors and warning signs to help prevent human trafficking:
- Top Risk Factors
- Exposure to other forms of violence
- Recent migration or relocation
- Substance use
- Runaway/homeless youth
- Mental health concern
- Red Flags and Indicators
- Inability to leave a job or living situation
- Evidence of mental and/or physical abuse
- Tattoos/branding marks
- Accompanied by a controlling person
- Fearful/lack of eye contact
- Lack of identification
- Top Recruitment Tactics
- Intimate partner/marriage proposition
- Familial
- Posing as a benefactor
- Job offer/false promises or fraud
Educating the community
Education is at the heart of UAHT’s mission. Through targeted workshops and training programs, the organization equips frontline professionals, first responders, and community members to recognize and respond to human trafficking situations with a trauma-informed approach.
The organization’s podcast further extends its reach, helping everyday community members understand and dismantle the systems that allow trafficking to flourish.
Empowering survivors
For those who have experienced trafficking, UAHT offers a lifeline through its client services program. Survivors may receive housing assistance, financial literacy training, counseling and more.
UAHT’s Real Talk program — a trauma-informed support group for teens and adults — has served more than 7,900 participants since 2017. The group helps survivors process their experiences, build resilience, and connect with others who understand their journey.
The organization also runs Stopping Sexual Exploitation (SSE), a prevention-focused program for men that provides education and accountability to help break the cycle of exploitation.
A vision for freedom
UAHT’s vision is simple and powerful: “We fight so that all may live free.”
Human trafficking is a violation of basic human rights, and UAHT believes no human life should be for sale. The organization marked its 20th anniversary in 2025, and its work is a reminder that ending trafficking requires a community-wide commitment — to prevention, education, and restoration.
To learn more about United Against Human Trafficking or to get involved, visit their website. You can make a donation to help support UAHT’s programs and services.
KPRC 2 and our partners at Energy Transfer and Houston Christian University are proud to feature United Against Human Trafficking in our KPRC 2 Community June spotlight.