Survivor Speak

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

It can seem like all the stars have to align perfectly for survivors to exit trafficking situations and pursue lasting freedom. Along the way, they navigate countless roadblocks that keep them from getting housing, health care, legal assistance, and other services they need to heal and thrive. From more than two decades of working with … Continued

It can seem like all the stars have to align perfectly for survivors to exit trafficking situations and pursue lasting freedom. Along the way, they navigate countless roadblocks that keep them from getting housing, health care, legal assistance, and other services they need to heal and thrive. From more than two decades of working with … 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

It can seem like all the stars have to align perfectly for survivors to exit trafficking situations and pursue lasting freedom. Along the way, they navigate countless roadblocks that keep them from getting housing, health care, legal assistance, and other services they need to heal and thrive. From more than two decades of working with … Continued

It can seem like all the stars have to align perfectly for survivors to exit trafficking situations and pursue lasting freedom. Along the way, they navigate countless roadblocks that keep them from getting housing, health care, legal assistance, and other services they need to heal and thrive. From more than two decades of working with … 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

Transgender people exist within the perfect storm of vulnerabilities that human traffickers use to exploit them. For example, trans people often lack familial support, are harassed for simply being who they are or supporting others like them, and experience rejection from services and opportunities – like housing and medical care. Traffickers take advantage of these … Continued

Denim Day is an internationally-recognized day to support survivors of sexual violence and bring awareness to the issue of victim-blaming. Human trafficking survivors know this issue all too well.

Many survivors of human trafficking are also survivors of sexual abuse. During April’s Sexual Assault Awareness Month, we are exploring the intersection of sexual abuse and human trafficking.

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 voices of Black survivors have historically been left out of the anti trafficking movement. To tell the true story of human trafficking, we can no longer separate it from race.