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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Karalyn Joseph |
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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Karalyn Joseph |
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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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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Haley Epping |
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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Haley Epping |
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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Haley Epping |
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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Haley Epping |
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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Haley Epping |
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…
