Blog

Follow us here to stay up to date on human trafficking policy, hear about training opportunities and events, and learn more about what’s happening in the anti-trafficking field.

Isiejah Allen |

Supporting Online Safety Policies that Protect Everyone

As the reach of the internet has grown significantly in the last 30 years, the safety of children using online platforms has become an increasing priority. There are real concerns about the risk of bullying, harassment, hate speech, disinformation, and…

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Isiejah Allen |

FNUSA Denounces Efforts to End Safe Asylum

On January 26, 2024, President Biden put out a statement calling on Congress to pass a budget bill with extreme immigration cuts that will devastate the US asylum process. The bill would prevent fair asylum, devastate due process, and exacerbate…

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Isiejah Allen |

US Advisory Council Annual Report Highlights Necessary Changes to Anti- Trafficking Efforts

Each year, the US Advisory Council on Human Trafficking releases a report outlining recommendations for US federal agencies to improve their anti-trafficking efforts. The Council is made up of lived experience experts appointed by each Presidential administration for two-year terms.…

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Isiejah Allen |

Screen Survivor Stories: Summary of Holes

The 2003 movie Holes, based on the book written by Louis Sachar, follows 14-year-old Stanley Yelnats’s experience with the juvenile justice system. Stanley is wrongfully accused of stealing from a homeless shelter because he cannot afford decent legal representation. Stanley…

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Isiejah Allen |

Screen Survivor Stories: Summary of American Street Kid

American Street Kid is a documentary that follows director Michael Leoni onto the streets of Los Angeles to expose the truth about youth homelessness in the US. We follow him over months as he develops relationships with these young people…

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Isiejah Allen |

Screen Survivor Stories: Summary of Fast Food Nation

The 2006 film Fast Food Nation follows multiple characters at the fictitious fast-food burger chain Mickey’s. Sylvia, Raúl, and Coco are three Mexican immigrants who come to the United States in search of a better future. Initially smuggled into Colorado,…

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Isiejah Allen |

Documents to Provide Evidence-Informed Foundation for the Development of National Standards of Care for Anti-Trafficking Service Providers

Freedom Network USA (FNUSA) recently released foundational documents to support the development of National Standards of Care for Anti-Trafficking Service Providers (National HT Services Standards of Care). The National HT Services Standards of Care will provide practical guidance on delivering…

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Emma Ecker |

The National Human Trafficking Hotline Cannot Act as a Law Enforcement Tipline and Help Survivors

The National Human Trafficking Hotline Cannot Act as a Law Enforcement Tipline and Help Survivors  Throughout 2023, the National Human Trafficking Hotline (NHTH) has come under scrutiny after claims from 36 State Attorneys General that the hotline is failing to…

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Melinda Smith |

New Report Released on Collaborating with Sex Worker Safety Advocates

Freedom Network USA (FNUSA) and the National Survivor Network (NSN) are excited to share a new set of guidelines, “Re-Centering Sex Worker Safety in Anti-Trafficking Work: Perspectives from the Field.” These guidelines were created to help anti-trafficking organizations reduce the…

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Melinda Smith |

Survivor Reentry Project takes Intake Pause

FNUSA’s Survivor Reentry Project has grown substantially over the past two years. Our staff and pro bono partners are working harder than ever to assess, represent, and ultimately clear criminal records resulting from a trafficking experience. We are committed to…

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Emma Ecker |

Historic Capitol Hill Briefing by Experts with Lived Experience

Historic Capitol Hill Briefing by Experts with Lived Experience Held as Congress Enters Critical Moment to Address Trafficking With a surge in public interest from a summer movie about international child sex trafficking and recent news reports of child labor…

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Melinda Smith |

Survivor Reentry Project Intake Pause for 2023

FNUSA’s Survivor Reentry Project has grown substantially over the past two years. Our staff and pro bono partners are working harder than ever to assess, represent, and ultimately clear criminal records resulting from a trafficking experience. We are committed to…

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Freedom Network Community |

Forced Labor in Prisons

The 13th Amendment to the United States Constitution abolished slavery and involuntary servitude “except as a punishment for crime whereof the party shall have been duly convicted.” This exception has significantly impacted prison labor practices in the United States. While…

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Melinda Smith |

Join Us: Working Together Against Human Trafficking

Sunday, July 30th is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, and this year’s theme is to leave no one behind. As people and organizations working to end human trafficking daily, this rings true for us. You may have recently seen…

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Freedom Network Community |

Equating Abortion and Human Trafficking Creates Barriers to Services for Survivors

FNUSA has always been committed to a human–rights–based approach, ensuring that all survivors have unrestricted access to evidence–based, non–judgmental medical care – including comprehensive reproductive health services. All survivors must be allowed to choose the appropriate services that match their…

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Melinda Smith |

FNUSA Recommendations Highlighted in the 2023 Trafficking in Persons Report

On June 15, 2023, the US Department of State (DOS)  released its 2023 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report evaluating the efforts of countries around the world to prevent human trafficking, protect survivors, and prosecute traffickers. Each year, this report includes…

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Emma Ecker |

FNUSA Response to the Senate Judiciary Committee Hearing on Ensuring the Safety and Well-Being of Unaccompanied Children

Yesterday, June 14, 2023, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing on ways the United States can ensure the safety and well-being of children who enter the US without a parent or guardian. The hearing was spawned by the revelations…

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Emma Ecker |

New Proposed Asylum Ban Will Harm Trafficking Survivors

On February 23, 2023, the Department of Homeland Security proposed a new rule that would reinstate asylum restrictions put in place under the Trump Administration. The rule would effectively limit asylum to migrants from Mexico and Canada arriving by land…

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Melinda Smith |

FNUSA’s Response to The New York Times’ Article on Child Labor

Children deserve to be safe in their homes and communities. Every day, children embark on dangerous journeys to flee violence and abuse to find safety in the US. Some travel with their families and are separated at the border. Others…

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Emma Ecker |

New Authority for OSHA Can Help Survivors Access T Visas

On February 13, 2023, the Department of Labor announced it has finally granted the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) the authority to issue T and U Visa certifications. This long-awaited authority will increase opportunities for survivors of human trafficking…

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