Polaris (formerly Polaris Project)

Transgender people exist within the perfect storm of vulnerabilities that human traffickers use to exploit them. Often lacking familial support, experiencing harassment, and facing 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. Mercy Gray, anti-trafficking advocate and lived experience expert, shares her experience as a survivor of human trafficking. Read the blog to learn about her story: https://lnkd.in/ecZdbQk7

*UPDATE* The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act has been introduced in the Senate! We’re one step closer to gaining, for the first time, a federal law that will give survivors of human trafficking a pathway to clear their criminal records & protect them from having a record in the first place. We need YOUR HELP. The best way to convince Congress to pass this bill is to call or make an appointment with your Congress members to ask them to support this bill. Find their phone numbers here: https://lnkd.in/grup5-2 You can also fill out this form to send a letter to Congress: https://lnkd.in/e3AGM_ED

Financial abuse is one of the primary ways traffickers enforce control over the people they exploit, and how they profit from that exploitation. As a result, survivors are often in extremely vulnerable financial circumstances after exiting their trafficking – and can be for many years after their exploitation ends. While there are financial support services for survivors, a majority of them are concentrated in crisis response, typically the first 3-12 months after exit. Few exist to support survivors with their long-term access and repair needs. In the context of April being National Financial Capability Month, Polaris would like to highlight its focus on long-term economic stability for survivors. Through collaborative efforts with trusted allies, we are working to establish referral pathways for survivors who encounter barriers to financial inclusion. Read the full blog to learn five innovative examples of efforts to increase access to financial products and services: https://lnkd.in/eEhk2J8b

Join Tech Against Trafficking for the Accelerator Program Showcase today at 11:00 a.m. (ET). Polaris, Issara Institute, BSR, and Microsoft will discuss ways of leveraging the use of data and technology to fight against #humantrafficking. The Tech Against Trafficking Accelerator is a fixed-term, cohort-based program intended to help anti-trafficking organizations deploying promising technological solutions accelerate the development, impact, and utilization of their tools. Register here: https://lnkd.in/eyheuttY

Join our team! Check out the job description for the Director of Worker Rights position: https://lnkd.in/evDAgPxC

We're hiring! We are looking for a Senior Accountant to join our Finance team. Check out the job description: https://lnkd.in/gRrb2xHC

Earlier this week, Polaris participated in a congressional briefing on the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act. Megan Cutter, Director of the National Human Trafficking Hotline, joined leaders from other organizations, congressional staff, and survivors to discuss why this bill would positively impact victims and survivors of human trafficking. Megan shared data from the National Survivor Study: 62% of respondents reported being cited, arrested, or detained by law enforcement, and 81% of respondents that were arrested, cited, or detained, experienced their arrest DURING their exploitation. This bill will give survivors of human trafficking a pathway to clear their criminal records & protect them from having a record in the first place. TAKE ACTION WITH US and support the TSRA: https://lnkd.in/e3AGM_ED

HOTLINE WIN: We are proud of the role the National Human Trafficking Hotline plays in bringing traffickers to justice. Last week, two men, accused of running a labor trafficking scheme disguised as a trucking company, were arrested and charged with continuous trafficking of persons. The San Antonio Police were informed on July 8, 2023, about the operation through the National Human Trafficking Hotline. One victim told police he was promised a weekly salary and a new work visa, but after three months, he was paid a minimal amount for his work. He also said he was forced to "violate mandated work-rest cycles, which compromised his safety and other motorists on the roadway," according to the arrest report. When he refused to continue to work and insisted that he be paid his wages, the two suspects threatened to call the immigration officials on him, as well as falsely accusing him of being a thief to the local authorities. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/eqR4hSPA

We are proud to share that Catherine R. Chen, CEO of Polaris, was interviewed for What’s Working Solutions, an online insight index from the Solutions Insights Lab pairing changemaker interviews with powerful stories of social progress. Catherine discusses the work that Polaris is doing to combat sex and labor trafficking and support victims and survivors, reflects on challenges and lessons learned, and shares how we can make progress and advance systems level change in the anti-trafficking field. Find her interview here: https://lnkd.in/eejK6zKd

HOTLINE WIN: We are proud of the role the National Human Trafficking Hotline plays in bringing traffickers to justice. Last week, a woman texted the National Human Trafficking Hotline to report she was being held against her will and forced to engage in sex acts at a hotel in Oregon. Police then arrested 33-year-old Orlando Smith, who was charged with assault, promoting prostitution, and an out-of-county warrant. Many people contact the Trafficking Hotline by texting 233733, which is a great option when they don’t have the privacy or the time to make a call. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/gw7T8MhP