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.
Emma Ecker |
Successes and Failures of the 2022 Trafficking Victims Protection Act Reauthorization
In 2000, Congress passed the United States’ first comprehensive anti-human trafficking legislation, the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA). Since then, this landmark legislation has been reauthorized seven times to expand the scope of protections and…
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Karen Romero |
Freedom Network USA to Lead the Development of Standards of Care for Anti-Trafficking Service Providers, in Collaboration with OVC and OTIP
Freedom Network USA (FNUSA), the nation’s largest coalition of service providers and advocates working directly with human trafficking survivors in the United States, is pleased to announce the launch of the Standards of Care for Anti-Trafficking Service Providers (Standards of…
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Freedom Network Community |
Unions as Trafficking Prevention
What is labor trafficking? Labor trafficking or forced labor is the most prevalent type of human trafficking worldwide. Survivors work in various sectors like manufacturing, construction, mining, agriculture, and domestic work. It disproportionately affects people of color, immigrants, low-income people,…
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Melinda Smith |
Freedom Network USA’s Response to Pieper Lewis’ Sentencing
Freedom Network USA is appalled by the sentence handed down to a child human trafficking survivor this week. Multiple media sources have shared the story of Pieper Lewis, a traumatized minor who experienced multiple forms of abuse and exploitation during…
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Freedom Network Community |
Human Trafficking and the Marijuana Industry
Everyone deserves to be safe in their home and workplace. However, this is not the case for those who are survivors of labor trafficking. Recently, NBC reported on a labor trafficking case on a marijuana farm in Southern California. This…
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Freedom Network Community |
What to Know About Labor Trafficking
Labor trafficking is the most prevalent form of trafficking. Since labor trafficking is often not highlighted, there are a lot of misconceptions about what it is and who is affected by it. 1. Labor trafficking is glossed over or not…
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Freedom Network Community |
Intersectionality between Substance Use and Human Trafficking
Written by Noël Crowley Substance use and human trafficking The intersection between substance use and human trafficking is not a new phenomenon. It is widely accepted that substance use is a vulnerability factor that may leave individuals more susceptible to…
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Freedom Network Community |
Supporting LGBTQ+ Survivors
How to support LGBTQ+ youth trafficking survivors? LGBTQ+ youth are disproportionately vulnerable to trafficking due to homophobia and transphobia. Many LGBTQ+ youth grow up in unsupportive households, which can cause a traumatic upbringing. Some youth are kicked out of their…
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Freedom Network Community |
Transphobia and Human Trafficking
When we talk about the fundamental causes of trafficking, we often focus on how people’s identities can make them vulnerable. However, we must make it clear that their identity does not make them inherently more susceptible to trafficking. Instead, the…
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Freedom Network Community |
Human Trafficking Awareness Month 2022
Buy a T-shirt! In order to spread awareness and support our work during Human Trafficking Awareness Month you can purchase a t-shirt here! #TruthAboutTrafficking on Social Media Follow our social media (Twitter, Instagram, Facebook) this month as we…
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Freedom Network Community |
The Intersection of Forced Marriage and Human Trafficking
Written by Terri Waldron While human trafficking and forced marriage are distinguishably different human rights violations, there can be similarities in the experiences for survivors of these crimes. The vulnerabilities that leave individuals susceptible to human trafficking are often the…
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Freedom Network Community |
Impact of Arrest and Conviction Histories on Trafficking Survivors
Written by K.B. White Human trafficking survivors are often arrested, prosecuted, and convicted for crimes that their traffickers forced them to commit. As a result, survivors are marked by criminal records that create barriers to housing, employment, education, and even…
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Freedom Network Community |
Interview with Mariah Grant about Decriminalizing Sex Work
Answers by Mariah Grant, Director of Research and Advocacy at The Sex Workers Project of the Urban Justice Center How do you think the US government can best assist sex workers? I would first emphasize that people who do sex…
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Freedom Network Community |
Trafficking in Rural America
Rural Areas Create Vulnerabilities Rural areas are known for having fewer people and a thick country landscape. While envisioning a rural community, human trafficking may not come to mind for most. However, many factors present vulnerabilities for trafficking survivors in…
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Freedom Network Community |
Every Survivor Counts: Interview with Yuri Guerrero
The following is an interview with one of our members Yuri Guerrero who is a survivor of labor trafficking and has been a survivor advocate for over 3 years. Why did you choose to get involved in the anti-trafficking movement?…
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Melinda Smith |
The Foster Care System and Human Trafficking
May is National Foster Care Month! As professionals working to combat human trafficking, it is essential to recognize the intersections between the foster care system and human trafficking. A flawed child welfare system perpetuates deep-seated cracks which vulnerable adolescents inevitably…
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Freedom Network Community |
Climate Change Harms Indigenous Communities.
This Earth Day, we reflect on how both human trafficking and environmental racism harm Indigenous communities, specifically women. We can see this intersection clearly in oil pipeline construction, such as Line 3, which is currently being built in Minnesota on…
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Freedom Network Community |
Chauvin’s Conviction is Not Justice.
A note from our Executive Director: Justice for George Floyd is not found in a conviction. We knew that the outcome, no matter what would be painful. It is, at least, an acknowledgment of the terrible harm committed against…
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Melinda Smith |
Standing with our AAPI Community
Freedom Network USA, today and every day, stands with our AAPI friends, neighbors, colleagues, and family members. In Georgia, Asian women working in Asian-owned massage and spa businesses were targeted in a display of racialized, gendered violence, which has left…
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Freedom Network Community |
Anti-Racism Work is Essential in the Anti-Trafficking Movement
A special thank you to Jatnna Gomez from the University of Maryland SAFE Center for her input. For Freedom Network USA, Black History Month is a time to celebrate Black Excellence and continue focusing on how the anti-trafficking field can…