Left Outside: The Vulnerability of Survivors Facing Housing Instability
Polaris Blog
by Natasia Hogston
1M ago
The reactions to the Supreme Court’s ruling in Grants Pass v. Johnson are still rippling across the country. At the end of June, the Court held that arresting a person sleeping outside for lack of housing is not a violation of the Eighth Amendment, which protects against cruel and unusual punishment by the government. Although … The post Left Outside: The Vulnerability of Survivors Facing Housing Instability first appeared on Polaris ..read more
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The 2SLGBTQIA+ Community Needs More Support Systems and Inclusive Policies to Reduce Vulnerabilities to Trafficking
Polaris Blog
by Natasia Hogston
4M ago
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 needs and vulnerabilities and exploit them to maintain control over their victims. Research has even found that LGBTQ+ youth are significantly more likely to be sex trafficked than their straight counterparts. My name is Ms. Mercy ..read more
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Referral Pathways: A Collaborative Strategy for Financial Inclusion
Polaris Blog
by Natasia Hogston
6M ago
Robust Social Supports are at the center of the referral pathways survivors need to thrive economically and emotionally after they get out of their trafficking situation. Financial abuse is one of the primary ways traffickers enforce control over the people they exploit, and how they profit from that exploitation. Finances are frequently used as means of control by traffickers to prolong exploitation, that is essentially the theft of financial freedom. Therefore, a survivor of human trafficking is a survivor of financial abuse. Financial abuse can present in many different ways, from controll ..read more
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Victim Blaming in Family Court: How Child Custody Impacts Survivors
Polaris Blog
by Natasia Hogston
7M ago
Trafficking survivors aren’t defined only by their exploitation — they play many more roles and carry more identities than survivor. One of the most common identities survivors also hold is mother. Survivors support their families, wanting to see their children thrive. Unfortunately, their ability to care for their children can run into systemic barriers resulting from their trafficking experience.  Often, survivors who are mothers battle for years to regain custody of their children, fighting against a family court system that doesn’t understand human trafficking, and sometimes even pun ..read more
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Prioritizing Survivor Voices at the Federal Level: Criminal Records Relief
Polaris Blog
by Natasia Hogston
1y ago
Following our series on state policy wins, Polaris is eager to share further updates about what is happening at the federal level. Although these snapshots focus on pending or soon-to-be-introduced legislation and not established laws, they echo a similar theme from the states — the call to prioritize survivor-led policies across a range of relevant issues. Polaris is committed to amplifying survivors’ voices in our research, recommendations, and relationships with policymakers. You, too, can raise your voice alongside survivors by learning about current efforts and advocating to your elected ..read more
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Restoring Power to Our Guest Workers
Polaris Blog
by rflores
1y ago
The current rules for H-2A and H-2B visas create dangerous power imbalances between guest workers and employers. Because these workers must remain employed by their visa sponsor — risking loss of legal immigration status if they separate — those in abusive situations are often forced or coerced into staying silent.  Fortunately, the U.S. government is beginning to recognize this inequality. In October 2022, it launched the H-2B Worker Protection Taskforce, a major acknowledgement that these visa holders face numerous human and labor rights violations in the U.S., including labor trafficki ..read more
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Prioritizing Survivor-Centered State Policies: Spotlight on Child Sex Trafficking
Polaris Blog
by Natasia Hogston
1y ago
Policy change takes time and collective effort — and when we reach our goals, it’s important to celebrate milestones and keep the momentum going. In that spirit, this blog is one of a three-part series on recent wins across the country, as states introduce and improve laws that prevent exploitation, support survivors, and hold traffickers accountable. Polaris has played our part in these successes, sitting on local coalitions, providing testimony, writing letters, and filing slips in support of survivor-centered policies. But this work needs all partners at the table to be successful — and we ..read more
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Prioritizing Survivor-Centered State Policies: Improving Criminal Record Relief
Polaris Blog
by Natasia Hogston
1y ago
Policy change takes time and collective effort — and when we reach our goals, it’s important to celebrate milestones and keep the momentum going. In that spirit, this blog is one of a three-part series on recent wins across the country, as states introduce and improve laws that prevent exploitation, support survivors, and hold traffickers accountable. Polaris has played our part in these successes, sitting on local coalitions, providing testimony, writing letters, and filing slips in support of survivor-centered policies. But this work needs all partners at the table to be successful — and we ..read more
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Prioritizing Survivor-Centered State Policies: The Fight for Fair Labor
Polaris Blog
by Sabrina Thulander
1y ago
Policy change takes time and collective effort — and when we reach our goals, it’s important to celebrate milestones and keep the momentum going. In that spirit, this blog is one of a three-part series on recent wins across the country, as states introduce and improve laws that prevent exploitation, support survivors, and hold traffickers accountable.  Polaris has played our part in these successes, sitting on local coalitions, providing testimony, writing letters, and filing slips in support of survivor-centered policies. But this work needs all partners at the table to be successful — a ..read more
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Responding to Sound of Freedom: Hollywood Needs to Center Survivors and Their Voices
Polaris Blog
by Natasia Hogston
1y ago
Survivors of human trafficking should be the main character of any human trafficking story, not a supporting actor. We must trust survivors, listen to their stories, and center both.  Named after the North Star, an historical symbol of freedom, Polaris leads a survivor-centered, data-informed, and justice and equity-driven movement to end human trafficking. Since 2007, Polaris has operated the U.S. National Human Trafficking Hotline, connecting victims and survivors to support and services, and helping communities hold traffickers accountable.  Eliminating human trafficking is a cha ..read more
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