Amanda Finger, Executive Director and Founder, and Dr. Annie Miller, Co-Principal Investigator of the Colorado Project, from the Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking in Denver, Colorado, discuss their recently released Colorado Project 2.0 to Comprehensively Combat Human Trafficking and their related Action Plan. Their community-based research project encompassed 183 individual surveys, 69 organizational interviews, and 29 focus groups from across Colorado. Sources: The Colorado Project 2.0, The Laboratory to Combat Human Trafficking

Speaker for the Living 'Human Trafficking' Podcast

Colorado Project 2.0 to Comprehensively Combat Human Trafficking

Seth and JJ explain what a T Visa and U Visa are, and how they can help victims of human trafficking get temporary nonimmigrant status. They also explain how Trump administration policies have affected these visa, including how they are slowing down processing times. Nevertheless, applications numbers have risen, but so have denials since 2016 along with a growing backlog of pending applications. Sources: Information for Law Enforcement Agencies and Judges, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/victims-human-trafficking-other-crimes T Visa Applicants Must Have Been “Trafficked” Into the U.S., NOLO https://www.nolo.com/legal-encyclopedia/differences-between-t-u-visas.html Victims of Human Trafficking: T Nonimmigrant Status, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/victims-human-trafficking-other-crimes/victims-human-trafficking-t-nonimmigrant-status Victims of Criminal Activity: U Nonimmigrant Status, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services https://www.uscis.gov/humanitarian/victims-human-trafficking-other-crimes/victims-criminal-activity-u-nonimmigrant-status/victims-criminal-activity-u-nonimmigrant-status Human Trafficking Victims Blocked from Visas by Trump Wage Boss, Bloomberg https://news.bloomberglaw.com/daily-labor-report/human-trafficking-victims-blocked-from-visas-by-trump-wage-boss Trump Wage Chief Adds Visa Hurdles for Trafficking Victims (2), Bloomberg Law How Trump Is ‘Destroying Protections’ for Victims of Human Trafficking, World Politics Review It Is Now Even Harder for Trafficking Survivors to Get Visas, The Appeal Trump immigration policies may interfere with human trafficking prosecution, The Colleges of Law Blog Fewer Undocumented Immigrant Crime Victims Are Stepping Forward, WNYC Number of Form I-914, Application for T Nonimmigrant StatusBy Fiscal Year, Quarter, and Case StatusFiscal Years 2008-2019 (Fiscal Year 2019, Quarter 2), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Number of Form I-918, Petition for U Nonimmigrant Status By Fiscal Year, Quarter, and Case Status Fiscal Years 2009-2019 (Fiscal Year 2019, Quarter 2), U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services

What is a T Visa and U Visa?

Jeffrey Epstein has been arrested and formerly charged with sex trafficking by the Southern District of New York. Seth and JJ discuss the new charges and information that has come to light. Sources: Jeffrey Epstein Is Accused of Luring Girls to His Manhattan Mansion and Abusing Them, The New York Times $56 Million Upper East Side Mansion Where Epstein Allegedly Abused Girls, The New York Times Trump and Jeffrey Epstein Once Hosted a Party for “28 Girls” at Mar-a-Lago, VICE "So. More on the modern slave trade...", Virginia Heffernan Julie K. Brown: "Quite A Few Powerful And Important" Names Will Come Up In Jeffrey Epstein Sex Trafficking Case, RealClearPolitics Why Q-Anon Is Celebrating the Arrest of Jeffrey Epstein, Washington Monthly The next big question about Jeffrey Epstein, CNN United States of America v. Jeffrey Epstein, United States District Court Southern District of New York More Than a Dozen Jeffrey Epstein Accusers Have Come Forward Since His Indictment, Rolling Stone Jeffrey Epstein is worth more than $500 million, paid off potential witnesses, prosecutors say in child sex traffic case, CNBC What’s the Deal with the Bizarre Temple-Like Structure on Jeffrey Epstein’s Private Island?, Law & Crime How a future Trump Cabinet member gave a serial sex abuser the deal of a lifetime, Miami Herald

Jeffrey Epstein Charged with Sex Trafficking

Seth and JJ discuss Joss Whedon's most controversial work, Dollhouse, which intersects with themes of human trafficking, prostitution, ownership, identity, and consent. While it's been 10 years since Dollhouse debuted for a two season run, Dollhouse's complex portrayal of trafficking is still good for a nuanced conversation of the issues. Sources: Dollhouse, Hulu Why Dollhouse Really Is Joss Whedon's Greatest Work, Gizmodo In defence of Joss Whedon's Dollhouse, Den of Geek Joss Whedon's Dollhouse: Confounding Purpose, Confusing Identity - Edited by Sherry Ginn, Alyson R. Buckman, and Heather M. Porter lnside Joss' Dollhouse - Edited by Jane Espenson Joss Whedon and Religion: Essays on an Angry Atheist's Explorations of the Sacred - Edited by Anthony R. Mills, John W. Morehead, and J. Ryan Parker Joss Whedon Versus the Corporation: Big Business Critiqued in the Films and Television Programs - Erin Giannini The Philosophy of Joss Whedon - Edited by Dean A. Kowalski and S. Evan Kreider Reading Joss Whedon - Edited by Rhonda V. Wilcox, Tanya R. Cochran, Cynthea Masson, and David Lavery  

Programmable Slaves in Joss Whedon’s Dollhouse

Seth and JJ gives updates on previous trafficking stories they've covered. NXIVM leaders Allison Mack pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy and racketeering charges. We find out who the primary victim was for Jeffrey Epstein's case. Law enforcement backtracks on their claims that sex trafficking occurred at the Orchard Spa where Robert Kraft was a client. Cases are costing R Kelly money and he claims victimhood. Lindsey Lohan admits she misread a situation she's now Instafamous for. And Chloe Ayling feels vindicated after her trafficker was convicted and sentenced. Sources: Here Are All the Major Players in the NXIVM Case, Where Women Were Allegedly Held as 'Sex Slaves', TIME She was the victim in Jeffrey Epstein’s secret plea deal. She didn’t even know it, Miami Herald New Jeffrey Epstein accuser goes public; defamation lawsuit targets Dershowitz, Miami Herald Prosecutors Say There’s No Evidence of Sex Trafficking In Robert Kraft Case, Rolling Stone R. Kelly breaks his silence on sexual abuse claims: "I have been assassinated", CBS R. Kelly reportedly has only $625 to his name after string of legal battles, AJC Lindsay Lohan Finally Addressed That Video of Her Being Punched in the Face, The Cut Lindsay Lohan Says She’s “Learned” from Her Instagram Mistakes, Vanity Fair Kidnapped model says she made abductor ‘fall in love’ to escape, NY Post Kidnapped model Chloe Ayling: ‘People didn't believe me because I wasn't in tears', The Guardian Photo: The Blue Diamond Gallery    

Updatepalooza! NXIVM, Epstein, Kraft, Kelly, Lohan, Ayling

Seth and JJ review the movie Nona, primarily analyzing how it portrays human trafficking. The movie has an intelligent script, strong characterization, and beautiful cinematography shot on location in multiple countries. It's depiction of trafficking is more nuanced than most films involving trafficking, with the focus more on dialogue and interactions within relationships. Sadly, the movie falls apart in the final scene. Spoilers ahead. This is the story of Nona (Sulem Calderon), who met a guy named Hecho (Jesy McKinney) in her hometown in Honduras. He offered to travel with her to the United States, where she hoped to reunite with her mother, but upon crossing the border, found herself trafficked. During the first two-thirds of the movie, she and Hecho traveled through Honduras, Guatemala, and Mexico. We are given glimpses of her life through the well-crafted dialogue between the characters. This part of her journey resembled a travelogue similar to movies like Richard Linklater's Before Sunrise. Once she arrived in the United States, a madame greeted her and sex trafficked her within a brothel. The story then focused on the relationships between the women there, telling their stories through conversations and showing them dancing, doing nails, and painting faces. The oppression and control were also conveyed, but the focus was on the agency of the women within that limited space, which is a refreshing and realistic portrayal of trafficking. When Nona was sent to the store by the madame, she was stopped by a police officer who was both racist and unsympathetic. At the police station, a detective (Kate Bosworth) talked at Nona, telling the victim what her experience was, in English, without knowing what Nona has been through or who she was. Aside from being unrealistic, it was controlling. Nona is an above-average movie about human trafficking, but the poorly written ending makes it hard to recommend, unless to show what happens when law enforcement has insufficient victim identification training and doesn't use a victim-centered approach. Sources: Nona, Tricoast Photo: Provided by Tricoast  

Nona: Movie Review

The Trump Administration claims a humanitarian crisis at the "southern border as human traffickers victimize countless women and children." JJ examines what Trump has said about human trafficking and at looks Trump administration policies, including the wall, and how their claims compare to statistics. Sources: Remarks: Donald Trump Discusses Human Trafficking and the Border - February 1, 2019, Factbase Human Trafficking News, US Department of Justice Thirty-Six Defendants Guilty For Their Roles In International Thai Sex Trafficking Organization, US State Attorney's Office District of Minnesota Texas couple convicted of keeping African girl as slave for 16 years, Independent Interview: Donald Trump Interviewed by Margaret Brennan on CBS's Face the Nation - February 3, 2019, Factbase Tim Ballard: I've fought sex trafficking at the border. This is why we need a wall, Desert News 2018 TIP Report, United States, US Department of State Attorney General TIP Report FY2017, Scribd Speech: Donald Trump Delivers the State of the Union - February 5, 2019, Factbase The Human Trafficking Legal Center US v. Mustafa Et Al Superseding Indictment, Scribd Yes, There Was Duct Tape: The Harrowing Journeys of Migrants Across the Border, The New York Times Leader of Virginia Sex Trafficking Ring Sentenced to 35 Years in Prison, NBC Washington Federal Prosecution of Human Trafficking Cases, 2015, Bureau of Justice Statistics Aaron Rupar, Twitter What is Decrim? The many places of prostitution in law, The Naked Anthropologist Donald Trump Paid $1.4 Million in a Dispute Over Undocumented Workers. Read the Newly Unsealed Legal Papers, Time Trump’s golf course employed undocumented workers — and then fired them amid showdown over border wall, The Washington Post Former Models for Donald Trump’s Agency Say They Violated Immigration Rules and Worked Illegally, Mother Jones Type of Border Crossings Victims of Trafficking Make, CTDC The International Organization for Migration's Counter Trafficking Data Collaborative, United Nations Office for Drugs and Crime The Hypocrisy of Trump’s Anti-Trafficking Argument for a Border Wall, The New Yorker Questions and Answers: Victims of Human Trafficking, T Nonimmigrant Status, US Citizenship and Immigration Services Identification of Foreign Countries Whose Nationals Are Eligible To Participate in the H-2A and H-2B Nonimmigrant Worker Programs, Federal Register Application for T Nonimmigrant Status by Fiscal Year, Quarter, and Case Status 2008‐2018, US Citizenship and Immigration Service Polaris Statement on a Border Wall and Human Trafficking, Polaris Photo: Wikipedia

Throwing Stats Against the Wall: The Trump Administration and Trafficking

Seth draws on his experience living in New Zealand to reflect on the country and discusses "The Great Replacement" narrative that has seeped into the mainstream right, and how these narratives can increase dehumanization and marginalization, which can make people more vulnerable to various forms of exploitation, including human trafficking.

Reflections on New Zealand and “The Great Replacement” Narrative

Jeffrey Epstein's sexual abuse case is facing renewed scrutiny due to the way his case was handling, which included not properly notifying victims about the plea deal, which was really lenient given what he was accused of. Seth and JJ go through the timeline of accusations and reported evidence, along with how the plea deal came about. Epstein's connections to Bill Clinton and Donald Trump are also briefly explored. Sources: Jeffrey Epstein, the convicted sex offender who is friends with Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, explained, Vox Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein: I’m a sex offender, not a predator, New York Post Flight Logs Put Clinton, Dershowitz on Pedophile Billionaire’s Sex Jet, Gawker Flight logs show Bill Clinton flew on sex offender's jet much more than previously known, Fox News Jeffrey Epstein: International Moneyman of Mystery, New York Magazine The Friendship Between Trump And A Billionaire Pedophile That Nobody Wants To Talk About, The Daily Caller Pedophile Pleaded The Fifth When Asked If He Was Friends With Bill Clinton, The Daily Caller Why The New Child Rape Case Filed Against Donald Trump Should Not Be Ignored, HuffPost Complaint for Rape, Sexual Midconduct, Criminal Sexual Acts, Sexual Abuse, Forcible Touching, Assult, Battery, International and Reckless Infliction of Emotional Distress, Duress, False Imprisonment, and Defamation, Scribed Bill Clinton drawn into Prince Andrew sex scandal, The Sydney Morning Herald Conservative Scold Ken Starr Got a Billionaire Pedophile Off, Daily Beast How Did Trump and Clinton Pal Jeffrey Epstein Escape #MeToo?, Daily Beast For years, Jeffrey Epstein abused teen girls, police say. A timeline of his case, Miami Herald Explore Epstein's connections, Miami Herald Even from jail, sex abuser manipulated the system. His victims were kept in the dark, Miami Herald Cops worked to put serial sex abuser in prison. Prosecutors worked to cut him a break, Miami Herald How a future Trump Cabinet member gave a serial sex abuser the deal of a lifetime, Miami Herald Lawmakers issue call for investigation of serial sex abuser Jeffrey Epstein’s plea deal, Miami Herald Epstein sex abuse victims press judge for decision on tossing lenient plea deal, Miami Herald Justice Department opens probe into Jeffrey Epstein plea deal, Miami Herald House Democrats want Jeffrey Epstein sex case reopened, Miami Herald Photo: Wikipedia

Jeffrey Epstein: Billionaire? Pedophile? Pervert? Sexual Predator? Sex Offender? Sex Abuser? Sex Trafficker?

Patriot's owner Robert Kraft was charged in Florida for solicitation of prostitution. Lanyun Ma of the East Spa was charged with human trafficking. JJ discusses massage parlors, the prostitution sting of the Johns, the situation the victims were in, and how this appears to be a case involving human trafficking. Sources: Trafficking probe that ensnared Robert Kraft began when inspector saw signs women lived at spa, CNN Florida sex trafficking bust is bigger than Robert Kraft -- Here’s why it matters, Fox News Victims of alleged human-trafficking ring that ensnared Robert Kraft were forced to live in massage parlors and perform sex acts, according to police, Business Insider Masseuses, men, and massage parlors: An expoloratory descriptive study, Women & Criminal Justice Methodological and Ethical Challenges to Conducting Human Trafficking Studies: A Case Study of Korean Trafficking and Smuggling for Sexual Exploitation to the United States, Women & Criminal Justice Why is there only one human trafficking charge in Florida massage parlor busts?, USA Today 'No Allegations of Human Trafficking' and 'Women Could've Walked Out' In Florida Massage-Parlor Prostitution Stings, Reason Probable Cause Affidavit, Jupiter Police Department Massage Parlor Trafficking, Polaris Photo: Local10

Krafting Trafficking: Why the Robert Kraft Scandal Shouldn’t Be Just About Him

Cartels based in Kenya recruit East Africans into trafficking situations by pretending to be legitimate labor brokers for real jobs. JJ explains how they do it, which includes brazenly advertising in newspapers. Sources: Why human trafficking is still rife in Kenya, The Star Illicit Trafficking and Eastern Africa, UNODC KENYA: Tier 2, Office To Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons Kenya is run by mafia-style cartels, says chief justice, The Guardian Merchandised: Human trafficking cartels in Kenya, YouTube Photo: Standard Digital

Trafficking by Kenyan Cartels

In 2010, Seth purchased a vegetable share from Grant Family Farms CSA, in Wellington, CO. Little did he know that a subcontractor had committed labor trafficking of undocumented workers 5 years prior, with a judge awarding $7.5 million to the 5 men for numerous violations of federal law in 2009. Seth tells their story, and how farmworkers are vulnerable to trafficking. Sources: Fields of fear for Colorado illegal farm laborers, The Denver post Does v. Rodriguez, CaseText John Doe v. Moises Rodriguez, Sherloc Human Trafficking For Labor Purposes AnAnalysis Of Immigration Policy And EconomicForces Within The United States, University of Central Florida Grant Farms entity again files for bankruptcy, Coloradoan Subcontractor Scheming: Holding Agricultural Companies Liable for Human Trafficking, Human Trafficking Search Immigrant Workers in US Agriculture: The Role of Labor Brokers in Vulnerability to Forced Labor, Verité Colorado Legal Services Photo: Zimbio  

Labor Trafficking at Grant Family Farms

JJ discusses the alleged and documented incidents of R Kelly's abuse of women and girls, and whether they meet the criteria of trafficking, based on what we know. Seth and JJ begin the show with a quick look into the Pope's admission that some nuns are sex slaves. Sources: Sexual Abuse of Nuns: Longstanding Church Scandal Emerges From Shadows, The New York Times AIDS exacerbates sexual exploitation of nuns, reports allege, NCR Online R. Kelly scandal: A timeline, CNN Kelly accused of sex with teenage girls, Chicago Sun Times R. Kelly arrested in child porn case, CNN Parents Told Police Their Daughter Is Being Held Against Her Will In R. Kelly’s “Cult”, BuzzFeed News Photo: Wikimedia

Is R Kelly a Sex Trafficker?

Sex-trafficking victim Cyntoia Brown was granted clemency by Tennessee Governor Bill Haslam on January 7, 2019. JJ discusses Brown's childhood, her trafficking situation with Cut Throat, the incident where she killed Johnny Allen, the complexities of the case, how her story gained publicity, and why she attained clemency. Sources: Me Facing Life: Cyntoia's Story, iTVS How The Justice System Failed Cyntoia Brown, Refinery29 Cyntoia Brown: National legal groups join appeal to free woman sentenced to life at 16, Tennessean Cyntoia Brown Is Granted Clemency After 15 Years in Prison, The New York Times Johnny Michael Allen: 5 Fast Facts You Need to Know, Heavy Fact Sheet: Safe Harbor Laws, National Council of Jewish Women Human Trafficking Issue Brief: Safe Harbor, Polaris  

The Case of Cyntoia Brown

A recent Washington Post article noted that according to Federal data, young black men are disproportionately prosecuted for human trafficking. While recognizing that these men are perpetrators, African-Americans are also victims, and racial stereotypes and white saviorism are still found in law enforcement and anti-human trafficking. Sources: Who’s disproportionately prosecuted for human trafficking? Young black men., The Washington Post Types of Trafficking, Human Trafficking Data Human Trafficking: Not All Black or White, Human Trafficking Search Human Trafficking, VictimsofCrime.org The Racial Roots of Human Trafficking, UCLA Law Review An Empirical Analysis of the Intersection of Organized Crime and Human Trafficking In the United States, National Criminal Justice Reference Service Photo: Pexels

Racial Bias in Human Trafficking

Human Trafficking, Forced Labor, and All Things Related