Public Policy

Financial abuse is one of the primary ways traffickers enforce control over the people they exploit, and how they profit from that exploitation.

Polaris stands against H.R. 2601, a bill that is dangerous to the safety and security of victims and survivors of human trafficking. We urge members of Congress to listen to survivors and vote NO.

Without consistent and clear state laws and federal legislation, criminal records remain one of the biggest obstacles that survivors face in rebuilding their lives after exploitation.

Actions are needed to help mitigate H-2B workers’ vulnerabilities and empower them to secure their rights and pursue safe, justly compensated work in the U.S.

Sex trafficking is terrible at any age, but stories about child victims and survivors in particular tend to draw more attention.

Helping survivors with criminal records avoid further exploitation is an ongoing policy priority for Polaris and the anti-trafficking sector.

From coast to coast, anti-trafficking advocates are joining with worker rights and prison reform partners to prevent labor trafficking. 

Without enough inspectors, outreach staff, and other resources at the Department of Labor, we will continue to read about child labor in meat packing industries, back wages owed to workers, and other violations.

The Department of Homeland Security has taken an important step to protect noncitizen workers from exploitative  employers who threaten them with retaliation related to their immigration status.

Testimony from victims of crime is often the key to successful prosecution, but it can come at a significant cost to the victims themselves, who have to relive some of their most painful experiences.

The National Survivor Study used the experience and expertise from survivors to create a detailed picture of the arc of trafficking.

Polaris released a new report grading all 50 states and D.C. on their criminal record relief laws for human trafficking survivors. Since the first report in 2019, 17 states responded to the call for better statutes that are more inclusive and easier to access, while two states actually reversed their progress.