Comprehensive Legal & Human Services for Victims and Survivors of Human Trafficking from Agricultural and Other Rural Low-Wage Industries

Worker Justice Center of New York (WJCNY) will serve historically underserved and marginalized communities of migrant farmworkers and rural, immigrant, and undocumented low-wage workers in New York. WJCNY’s human trafficking prevention program has three primary goals: (1) Help human trafficking victims in rural areas access client-centered, trauma-informed comprehensive legal services, with a focus on workers in agriculture and other low-wage industries. Services include direct representation of victims for immigration relief; civil litigation for wage recovery or for human trafficking claims; case management with referrals and technical assistance to pro-bono attorneys on legal needs outside of those handled in-house; assistance in obtaining human services for victims; and coordination with other grantees receiving USDOJ funds to serve victims who have traveled to other regions in the United States. (2) Support human trafficking victims and survivors in achieving increased self-sufficiency and self-determination through client-centered and culturally responsive case management services, provided by trained staff with decades of experiences support human trafficking clients, and serving a projected 30–35 clients with immediate and ongoing supports to navigate complex legal and social services so they can move toward safety, recovery, and economic independence, and live and work free from abuse and exploitation. (3) Increase successful responses to human trafficking victims and survivors through human service agency and law enforcement agency collaboration, providing industry-specific trainings and technical assistance to strengthen collective efforts to identify and address trafficking cases and connect victims and survivors to the legal and support services to aid in their safety and recovery and pursuit of justice.