MIAMI (CBS4) - When Senator Marco Rubio’s wife, saw the movie “Human Trafficking,” she was moved to action and therefore so was her husband.

Friday Rubio held a news conference and took a tour of Kristi House. It is a place where children exploited by human trafficking are taken for medical and psychological treatment.

Rubio is trying to raise awareness about the issue here in Miami. He said if we can get ahead of the issue here, then we can attempt to do so on a national level.

“Because of the nature of our population, because of the size of our population, we have serious problems involving the commercial exploitation of children,” said Rubio.

Representative Erik Fresen and Representative Jeanette Nunez were also on hand and spoke about legislation they are sponsoring at the state level.

Representative Nunez said all too often the victims of human trafficking forced to suffer even more at the hands of law enforcement.

“Right now they’re treated as criminals,” said Rep. Nunez. “They’re processed through the juvenile assessment center and these child victims of prostitution are being treated like prostitutes.”

The Safe Harbor Act is looking to change that and it also aims to increase the penalties for those fueling the problem.

“What we want to do is give law enforcement the opportunity to take them to a safe harbor to take them to a shelter where they can get access as victims not as criminals,” said Nunez.

According to the Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking,, there are approximately 27 million people enslaved throughout the world with 2.5 million located in the United States. Florida has been identified as a hub for human trafficking activity, citing one of the highest incidences of human trafficking in the country, the coalition reported.

“Florida is particularly impacted by this atrocious practice of modern day slavery, as traffickers prey on the large number of teenage runaways here,” said Rubio. “We must continue doing everything we can to raise public awareness of a problem that is right under our noses, and also enact public policies to support law enforcement, better coordinate their efforts at all levels, assist victims and combat this horrendous crime at home and abroad.”

Across Florida, task forces and working groups have been formed to provide trainings and address human trafficking issues in the state.

Kristi House is located at 1265 NW 12th Avenue in Miami.