Trump administration appoints Barbera Thornhill as anti-trafficking ambassador
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The Trump administration has formally welcomed on Tuesday Barbera Thornhill as the new US Ambassador-at-Large to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.
Thornhill, of North Carolina, heads the State Department’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons and holds the rank of ambassador-at-large.
She reports under Assistant Secretary Riley Barnes in the Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights, and Labor.
In this role she will oversee US efforts against human trafficking worldwide, including production of the annual Trafficking in Persons Report, coordination with foreign governments, protection of survivors, and targeting of traffickers.
Trump nominated Thornhill on May 11 to succeed Cindy Dyer.
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee held her confirmation hearing on June 25, and the full Senate confirmed her on August 7 by a 51-47 vote.
The office had operated under an acting director for much of the current administration after significant staff reductions earlier in the term.
Some advocacy groups, including PACT (Protect All Children from Trafficking), welcomed the nomination of a permanent leader after a lengthy vacancy but noted Thornhill’s limited prior experience in federal anti-trafficking policy.
