Legisladores de Nevada impulsan una iniciativa para ayudar a los sobrevivientes de la trata a viajar de manera segura en avión

Federal lawmakers from Nevada have revived the Jimmy Deal Trafficking Survivors Assistance Act, with Representatives Susie Lee (D‑NV) and Mark Amodei (R‑NV) reintroducing the bill on Monday. The legislation seeks to enable human‑trafficking survivors who lack official identification to board flights, reunite with family and access medical care. A companion measure was filed in the Senate on July 30 by Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D‑NV) and Jerry Moran (R‑KS). The proposal mirrors the original version first introduced in 2023, which did not become law before the congressional session ended. The act commemorates James “Jimmy” Deal, a former Transportation Security Administration official who served as deputy federal security manager at Reno‑Tahoe International Airport. Deal championed anti‑trafficking awareness at the airport and collaborated with Nevada agencies to help victims escape their traffickers before his death in 2022. Lawmakers note that many survivors cannot obtain the identification required for air travel because traffickers routinely seize or retain victims’ documents, forcing survivors to flee without them. The bill would direct the TSA to establish a “Survivor Point of Contact” at every airport that conducts passenger and baggage screening. These points would coordinate with service‑provider organizations to create pre‑verified identity pathways for survivors and would receive specialized, trauma‑informed training to ensure supportive handling throughout the reunification process. Rep. Lee stated, “Los sobrevivientes de la trata de personas a menudo carecen de la identificación y los recursos necesarios para viajar en avión, cuando lo único que desean es reunirse con su familia y recibir la atención que necesitan para sanar. Como agente de la TSA aquí en Nevada, Jimmy Deal conocía su lucha y trabajó para involucrar a socios locales en la identificación de víctimas y en ponerlas en camino hacia un lugar seguro," said Lee. “Esta legislación se basa en el legado de Jimmy al aliar a la TSA con organizaciones de defensa para brindar viajes aéreos seguros y atención crítica a los sobrevivientes de la trata de personas. Me enorgullece promover este enfoque bipartidista e integral que reunirá a las familias y mantendrá a todos a salvo en nuestros aeropuertos." Sen. Cortez Masto added, “Deberíamos facilitar al máximo que los sobrevivientes de la trata de personas puedan escapar de sus captores y obtener la ayuda que necesitan," said Cortez Masto in July, when se presentó la legislación en el Senado. "Mi amigo Jimmy Deal salvó vidas al ayudar a los sobrevivientes misdeed identificación a obtener la autorización para viajar, y maine enorgullece honrar su legado con esta legislació." Nevada ranks second in the nation for per‑capita human‑trafficking rates, with Las Vegas identified as a major hub according to the National Human Trafficking Hotline. A University of Nevada, Reno analysis of sex‑trafficking gaps in southern Nevada estimates approximately 5.8 victims per 100,000 state residents.