January is Human Trafficking Prevention Month, yet in this month dedicated to raising awareness for and preventing human trafficking, we are seeing lawmakers bargain away essential protections for survivors. Currently, lawmakers in Congress are engaged in ongoing negotiations, which have pitted the rights of asylum seekers against short-term funding for crises such as the war […]
Category: Human Trafficking
Trafficking Survivors Lost in the Funding Debate’s Asylum Stipulations
In October 2023, the Biden Administration requested emergency supplemental funding for short-term foreign aid, including support to Ukraine. This request came near the end of the month, as budget talks to fund the federal government and avoid a government shutdown recommenced with the first funding bill, or continuing resolution (CR), of Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 […]
Human Trafficking Prevention Month: Common Myths About Human Trafficking
Whether it is a movie depicting glamorized versions of victims and pimps or a recent TikTok trend that presents human trafficking as solely a snatch and grab scenario, the public receives conflicting and confusing information about human trafficking. Since the public plays a major role in the identification and reporting of suspected human trafficking, it […]
Human Trafficking Prevention Month: What is Labor Trafficking?
Human trafficking is the buying or selling of people for labor or sex. Nearly all trafficking stems from some sort of vulnerability. Human traffickers often target disadvantaged individuals with the fewest legal and social protections, exploiting their economic hardships, lack of education, or immigration status. The lack of legal status of many migrants leaves them […]
Human Trafficking Prevention Month: What is Sex Trafficking?
Human trafficking, also known as trafficking in persons, is a heinous crime that involves the exploitation and coercion of individuals for various purposes, such as sexual exploitation. Nearly all trafficking stems from some sort of vulnerability. Human traffickers often target disadvantaged individuals with the fewest legal and social protections, exploiting their economic hardships, lack of […]
STARS Program Offers Lifeline for Foreign National Trafficking Survivors in Detroit Area
USCRI is proud to announce the formation of the Surviving Trauma and Reaching Success (STARS) program to support foreign national survivors of sex and labor trafficking in the Detroit, Michigan region. STARS will conduct outreach, provide case management assistance, and offer free immigration legal services. Human trafficking operates in secrecy as refugees and immigrants are […]
Part 4 of USCRI’s Series: In Search of Safety
“We really need to be listening to children. With all kids, regardless of circumstances, spend some time to really hear them and that will be the safety and stability that they need in order to get the help they deserve.” Marie Olenych, Director of Trafficking and Human Services, USCRI. On this week’s installment of USCRI’s […]
Far Too Socially Distant: Trafficking in Persons Policy Responses for Governments in the COVID-19 Pandemic and Beyond
There are few places on earth nor facets of human life that the COVID-19 pandemic has not touched. From the empty, ghost town-like streets of Toronto’s financial district to the shuttered kibbeling stands in the Grote Markt of Amsterdam to the world’s largest airport, Beijing Daxing International, now quiet with its few masked passengers moving […]
Out of the Cold: Forced Marriage Trafficking Victims Need to Be Included in U.S. Definition
The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act (TVPA) was passed into law in October 2000 by Congress and President Clinton. At the time, it was praised as a bipartisan solution to address human trafficking as a distinct crime. Prior to 2000, human trafficking crimes were prosecuted using several different federal and state statutes that […]
USCRI Announces A New “Know Your Rights” Toolkit
USCRI’s Know Your Rights toolkit includes a guide for survivors of trafficking and asylum seekers to help them navigate law and immigration enforcement. The contents include: General tips On the street At home In a vehicle If detained Cannabis (marijuana) There is also a handy wallet-sized version in English, Spanish, French, Russian and Ukrainian. Click […]
