Public Policy

As a survivor of human trafficking, I know that exiting an abusive situation does not guarantee freedom. Among other burdens, many of us carry criminal records for actions we were forced to commit while trafficked — records that keep us from financial stability and put us at risk for revictimization, even years removed from trafficking. … Continued

I didn’t always identify as a survivor of human trafficking. I exited before trafficking was a buzzword. I was in and out of domestic violence shelters in Michigan, who were aware that I was involved in prostitution but didn’t identify it as trafficking. For years, I thought of myself as an ex-prostitute — after all, … Continued

Advocates across the anti-human-trafficking field are calling on Congress to pass the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, which would create the first federal pathway for survivors of labor and sex trafficking to clear criminal records resulting from their trafficking experience. This law would break down a massive barrier to survivors’ economic stability and mobility, as having … Continued

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.