By Evelyn Pyburn

Human trafficking is a bigger problem in Billings than most people know – in large part because it is a hidden problem.

It happens behind the scenes. Its victims are most often silent. Its evidence isn’t recognized and there is little to almost no support for the victims.

Britney Higgs is determined to change all that. Last week, Britney launched the first lap of a 35-day trek from Billings to Denver, to bring awareness and hopefully to raise funds for survivor homes and resources to help re-establish a life for the survivors.

Britney began her trek on Elysiann Road west of Billings, cheered on by family and friends and board members of HER, an organizations formed to address the “gap” in the means available to rescue survivors of human trafficking.

It is Britney’s goal to walk about 20 miles a day along back roads. Sometimes her 14-year-old son, Asher, will join her. She has a support crew. Following along behind in an RV, will be her husband, Sammy, and their other three children, Judson, 12; Emlyn, 6; and Jeremiah, 4.

Britney hopes her effort will draw attention to the problem and generate contributions. She will be walking 580 miles and hopes she can get a thousand dollars for each mile — $580,000. [Contribute by going to the HER website, https://hercampaign.org/walkforher/]

For the survivors of human trafficking, the road to recovery is a lot longer. “We get calls weekly,” said Britney, “for survivors who need immediate placement.” It isn’t unusual for the survivors to be in fear for their lives, if they remain in the community. So, besides immediate shelter, sometimes they also need to be placed in another community to reduce their risk.

Sammy and Britney learned about how serious the problem is when the filming company they own was engaged to film a documentary about human trafficking. The gig took them to other countries around the world, and brought home the vivid reality of the crime, as well as the stunning realization that Montana ranks as one of the more problem states for human trafficking – especially in Billings.

“Coming back, my heart was broken for the restoration of survivors,” said Britney, “And it was happening in our own back yard!” The Higgs had learned that even if rescued from a situation, the lack of support services left them with nowhere to go. “There was a gap between rescue and freedom,” said Britney, who determined there had to be something more.

Britney founded the organization, HER, and, with the help of others, started developing a program and establishing a blueprint for the program, so that it can be taken up by other communities across the nation. Besides raising funds, Britney hopes that her walk will capture the attention of other communities who can duplicate the program.

“It takes a high level of care to come along side of the survivors,” said Britney. Besides needing an immediate safe house, they need crisis stabilization and long term care and support.

By the time they are rescued, many are so devastated that moving forward hardly seems an option. Britney said that one woman told her that even though she was physically free, “I wish I had died in captivity because I have nothing left to give.”

In Billings, now, there is immediate placement in a safe home, with the opportunity to move into a long term program to help survivors rebuild their lives, train for employment, get a job and gain the confidence to move forward – to gain 100 percent recovery. The program can serve as many as six people at any one time. In Denver, too, they have safe homes and a stabilization program which can serve 13 survivors at any one time. HER accepts women, women who are pregnant, and women who have a child under age 3.

The state of Montana has made some efforts to improve upon the situation. Emergency responders are being trained to recognize situations, which involve human trafficking. The Department of Justice has established a process of tracking statistics, a process which has improved 1400 percent, said Britney.

Who are the victims of human trafficking and why has it grown to be such a problem in Billings?

The victims are most often women, and all too often children.

The legalization of drug use catapulted human trafficking in Montana. Human trafficking goes hand in hand with drug use, said Britney. While there are cases where a victim is kidnapped and transported to a different location, quite often it happens right on the street where you live. And, it’s not just in the “bad part of town.” It can happen in any home where someone – a spouse, a boyfriend, a parent, etc. becomes addicted and needs money to buy drugs.

Britney explained that the process usually begins with “grooming” their victim to sell sex for money, and then force them to do so. It becomes increasingly difficult for the victim to break free. They are often involved in broken homes or are victims of child abuse. They are reluctant, and often afraid, to tell anyone about their ordeal and have nowhere to turn for help.

About 85 percent of the victims were in foster care. Many are native people, said Britney.

Stacy Zinn, a board member of HER, and former special agent with the Drug Enforcement Agency, was among those supporting Britney at the start of her 35-day trek. Zinn commented that she wished more people were aware about the seriousness of human trafficking in Billings. “They can say it is not happening,” she said, “because the activity happens in the darkness.” Victims don’t talk about it. Drugs are often involved. And, often kids and the very young are taken advantage of, said Zinn.

The number of cases tracked by the Montana Department of Justice increased from 7 in 2015 to 143 in 2023, an increase of 1,900 percent.