Final Report of the Subcommittee on Domestic Trafficking
Final Report of the Subcommittee on Domestic Trafficking
Final Report of the Subcommittee on Domestic Trafficking
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sexual exploitati<strong>on</strong> and target <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> real perpetrators <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> sexual exploitati<strong>on</strong>-<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>demand side, violent pimps and traffickers.For <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Internati<strong>on</strong>al <strong>Trafficking</strong> victims:From <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> beginning, this group is going to be more difficult to access and serve. Theyare from an entirely different culture and possess little to no English language skills. Wemust approach <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m with culturally competent staff trained in trauma counseling orinterpreters and a respect for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> differences in culture. We must also be aware <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> anymisunderstandings that may arise in our communicati<strong>on</strong> due to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se differences. If weare successful in identifying <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m as victims <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>Trafficking</strong> (with cooperati<strong>on</strong> fromrelevant <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ficials) <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>n we must find <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>m helpful and supportive housing, <strong>on</strong>ce againrunning into barriers in language and culture.At Sage we have established relati<strong>on</strong>ships with local <strong>Domestic</strong> Violence shelters to placewomen as needed, because in general it is difficult to find housing for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> women due tolanguage barriers and o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r special needs. What follows is an entanglement <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> servicesthat we provide. As Case Managers we provide a variety <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> assistance, from taking <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>women to <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir relevant appointments (attorney, doctors, counseling, etc.) but equally asimportant, we provide support and reassurance for a process <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y usually do not trulyunderstand (regardless <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> repeated explanati<strong>on</strong>s). I would like to stress that this is usuallybecause <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> very slow rate in which all <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> this takes place. Once <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> women arearrested (from bro<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ls) it is within a couple <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> days that <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y shift from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Traffickers’envir<strong>on</strong>ment to living as a Trafficked victim in a strange country/state/city. Traffickedwomen are simultaneously dealing with language barriers, no income/no livelihood(when <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y do receive it, it is hardly enough to live <strong>on</strong>), lack <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a home, PTSD, and lack<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> clarity in what comes next. The first step in accessing county benefits is attaining <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>C<strong>on</strong>tinued Presence Letter, which can take complex negotiati<strong>on</strong>s with USAO. FBI, orICE and <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>ten over 6 m<strong>on</strong>ths to obtain, if ever/ or going straight to T Visa (depending <strong>on</strong><str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> severity <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> case). In <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> mean time, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y present with complex needs <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> supportsuch as medical and mental health counseling, legal representati<strong>on</strong>, m<strong>on</strong>ey, housing,reengagement with traffickers, jobs and answers. As Case Managers from SAGE, wework through all <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>se steps to ensure <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir safety, ensure immediate needs are met,l<strong>on</strong>g term goals, progress (in case <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y are material witnesses for <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> year up<strong>on</strong> signing ac<strong>on</strong>tract, usually right after <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>ir arrest), and general support.Ultimately <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> deeper problems arise because <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y are functi<strong>on</strong>ing in <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> US as thirdworld women without documentati<strong>on</strong> and truthfully, without any rights. Prior toreceiving a CC or T Visa <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y have nothing, and without language abilities, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y faceracism and closed doors. However, this is representative <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> a vicious cycle becausewithout housing, m<strong>on</strong>ey, and proper documentati<strong>on</strong>, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y do not have <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> wherewithal toparticipate in much needed programs like ESL, counseling, job training, and support insocial integrati<strong>on</strong>.For <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> Victims <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>Domestic</strong> <strong>Trafficking</strong>:While victims <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>Domestic</strong> <strong>Trafficking</strong> may, in many cases, be exempt from <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g> barriers<str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> possessing English Language skills or being able to obtain proper documentati<strong>on</strong> <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g>citizenship, <str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>y are faced with o<str<strong>on</strong>g>the</str<strong>on</strong>g>r challenges, which are similar to that <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> anInternati<strong>on</strong>al <strong>Trafficking</strong> victim. An excepti<strong>on</strong>ally high percentage <str<strong>on</strong>g>of</str<strong>on</strong>g> <strong>Domestic</strong>77