by Melinda Smith | Jan 16, 2019 | News
Yesterday, Freedom Network USA (FNUSA) submitted comments to the US State Department to inform the 2019 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report. Released annually by the Office to Combat and Monitor Trafficking in Persons (JTIP), this report ranks countries around the...
by Melinda Smith | Jan 9, 2019 | News
In the final days of 2018, the House passed a package of four bills to reauthorize the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA), after the Senate did the same on December 17. Today, the President signed the package that reauthorizes critical funding for services and...
by Melinda Smith | Jan 9, 2019 | News
Today, Freedom Network USA joins the Human Trafficking Legal Center to issue a joint statement on President’s Trump Oval Office address on January 8, 2019. As the largest coalition of human trafficking experts in the United States, we are intimately familiar...
by Melinda Smith | Sep 25, 2018 | News
Safe and stable housing is a critical resource for survivors of human trafficking as they exit their trafficking situation and continue their journey towards healing and reintegration. As service providers, we often rely on emergency housing resources such as domestic...
by Melinda Smith | Sep 12, 2018 | News
The Freedom Network Training Institute (FNTI) invites you to join a webinar on Understanding Housing Needs and Opportunities for Survivors of Human Trafficking. The webinar will focus on the importance of assessing the ongoing housing needs of survivors, as well as...
by Jean Bruggeman | Jul 9, 2018 | News
On July 5, the US Citizen and Immigration Service (USCIS) published new guidance that betrays our values and endangers our communities. The new policy gives USCIS new powers and direction to begin deportation proceedings against all applicants for immigration benefits...
by Jean Bruggeman | Jun 6, 2018 | Uncategorized
Safety. Freedom. Dignity. Freedom Network USA is dedicated to ensuring that all workers have access to these basic human rights, and that when these rights are violated, survivors access the full-range of services they need to heal. But right now, this access is under...
by Jean Bruggeman | May 31, 2018 | News
The Freedom Network USA (FNUSA) is committed to the human-rights based approach to addressing human trafficking. That includes: prioritizing the self-determination and choices of survivors, providing non-judgmental services and support and our shared commitment to...
by Melinda Smith | Apr 16, 2018 | News
Freedom Network USA (FNUSA) is proud to release the 2018 Member Report. Every other year, we survey our members to learn more about the clients they serve, trends on the ground, and challenges they face. Our 57 members include attorneys, social workers, organizers and...
by Melinda Smith | Feb 28, 2018 | News
In a huge win for survivors of all forms of human trafficking, a notice went out last week to all law enforcement grantees receiving funding under the Enhanced Collaborative Model to Combat Human Trafficking program. The Office of Victims of Crime (OVC) and the Bureau...
by Melinda Smith | Feb 1, 2018 | Events
Freedom Network USA (FNUSA) submitted input for the 2018 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report to the Department of State yesterday. Every year the Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons releases the report, which is used as the primary tool to engage...
by Melinda Smith | Jan 29, 2018 | News
Freedom Network USA released their findings from an informal survey exploring the impact of increased immigration enforcement on trafficking victims. In collaboration with Coalition to Abolish Slavery and Trafficking (CAST) and Polaris, we surveyed 147 service...
by Melinda Smith | Jan 12, 2018 | News, Uncategorized
Each year, a half a million low-wage guest workers enter the U.S. on a myriad of temporary work visas. Many of these guest workers are at the mercy of a single employer for both their job and their legal status in the U.S., making them especially vulnerable to human...
by Melinda Smith | Dec 27, 2017 | News
Homeless youth are at increased risk of being victims of human trafficking. Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania and Loyola University, in collaboration with Covenant House, completed the most comprehensive study to investigate the linkage. The report,...
by Melinda Smith | Dec 7, 2017 | News
The anti-immigrant rhetoric that has dominated the national narrative over the past year has not just created negative consequence for adults, but also in policies with devastating consequences for children. Freedom Network USA (FNUSA) has addressed several attempts...
by Melinda Smith | Nov 27, 2017 | News
Freedom Network USA continues to vehemently oppose both legislation and policies that undermine a survivor’s ability to access the full range of reproductive health care. Last week, we joined our allies to submit comments to the Department of Health and Human Services...
by Melinda Smith | Nov 15, 2017 | News
Across the country people are living in fear. Immigrants are afraid to come forward to report crimes committed against them. They are afraid to cooperate with law enforcement, which only decreases the likelihood that their traffickers will be brought to justice. This...
by Melinda Smith | Oct 13, 2017 | News
Freedom Network USA is thrilled to welcome Maria Odom to its board. The entire FNUSA community is grateful for her service and looks forward to her contributions. Maria M. Odom recently served as the DHS Citizenship and Immigration Services Ombudsman in the...
by Melinda Smith | Oct 3, 2017 | News
Freedom Network USA has been awarded $849,980 to improve access to housing for trafficking survivors. The three-year grant will support the Freedom Network Training Institute Housing Training and Technical Assistance Project. The Freedom Network Training Institute...
by Melinda Smith | Sep 29, 2017 | News
FNUSA submitted comments today in response to a request for feedback from the Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Trafficking in Persons (OTIP). The agency is attempting to revise the form that must be submitted for children who were potentially...
by Melinda Smith | Sep 6, 2017 | Uncategorized
As the current administration reshapes the government budget and immigration enforcement policy in this country, we are interested to understand the impact of these efforts on human trafficking survivors in your communities. As front line advocates and direct service...
by Jean Bruggeman | Aug 17, 2017 | News
It is important for all people and organizations to speak out about what they believe. We must state clearly and without hesitation, that Freedom Network USA stands opposed to racism. We stand opposed to all forms of hatred and oppression. We stand opposed to Nazis,...
by Melinda Smith | Jun 21, 2017 | Uncategorized
The Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 (TVPA) established the US as a world leader in the fight against human trafficking, using a comprehensive approach that includes prosecution, protection, and prevention. This framework strives to ensure that survivors are...
by Jean Bruggeman | Jun 14, 2017 | Uncategorized
On the World Day Against Child Labor, countries across the globe are standing up for the rights and well-being of young people. While the United States has taken steps to protect the health and safety of young people working in a host of industries, children working...
by Melinda Smith | Jun 9, 2017 | Uncategorized
Today, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Human Trafficking Maria Grazia Giammarinaro is presenting her final country report of recommendations for the US government on how to combat trafficking in persons. These recommendations centralize the knowledge gathered...
