Yesterday, a federal judge issued a preliminary injunction in Freedom Network USA’s challenge to anti-DEI executive orders. The ruling blocks the Department of Justice from forcing any grantee or contractor nationwide to certify that they do not operate DEI programs to receive funding. The court also struck down new funding conditions in the DOJ’s Services for Victims of Human Trafficking program that make it near-impossible to serve survivors.
This is a huge win for trafficking survivors nationwide!
Equity is at the very core of our work. It is the reason service providers are able to comprehensively meet the needs of all human trafficking survivors.
When the federal government tried to use its anti-DEI executive orders and funding restrictions to undermine the protections survivors need, when they told us to silence survivors and abandon our commitment to Black, Brown, immigrant and LBGTQIA+ survivors, we took action.
We will not abandon or silence survivors. We will not pretend that equity is not critical to effective human trafficking prevention and protection. We will not give up on the survivors put at risk of trafficking by the hate campaigns against immigrants and trans people. The fight isn’t over. The government will continue to defend these Executive Orders. Many more court battles are before us.