Heartland Alliance's National Immigrant Justice Center's experienced legal staff can speak about the legal ramifications of immigration laws, provide analysis of how immigration policies play out in immigrant communities, and help put reporters in touch with immigrants, refugees, and asylum seekers who can provide a human face to stories about the U.S. immigration system.
NIJC Press contact:
Tara Tidwell Cullen
Human Trafficking Heartland Alliance Lauds New Legislation and Launch of Illinois Campaign to Combat Human Trafficking | Heartland Alliance Lauds New Legislation and Launch of Illinois Campaign to Combat Human Trafficking |
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| Monday, 06 June 2005 | |
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CHICAGO - Heartland Alliance for Human Needs & Human Rights is proud to join the Illinois Rescue & Restore Campaign Against Human Trafficking and Slavery, a public awareness campaign being unveiled today by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS).
In addition, Heartland commends the Illinois General Assembly and Governor Blagojevich on signing into law the Trafficking of Persons and Involuntary Servitude amendment sponsored by Sen. John J. Cullerton (D-Chicago) and Rep. Michelle Chavez (D-Cicero) and, which will criminalize human trafficking and involuntary servitude in Illinois. The legislation and campaign will help to further human rights protections for victims of human trafficking in Illinois.
Human trafficking is a modern-day form of slavery affecting some of the most vulnerable populations in the United States. Every year, an untold number of adult and child victims are trafficked into and within the United States and forced into labor in homes, agricultural fields, factories, restaurants, and the sex trade. Immigrants are particularly vulnerable, as their undocumented status and fear of deportation serve as powerful weapons against them. The Illinois Rescue & Restore Campaign will focus outreach and training to those professionals most likely to encounter victims-local law enforcement, health care providers, social and legal service agencies, and community-based organizations-while simultaneously working to increase public awareness on the issue of trafficking. "The Illinois Rescue and Restore campaign is the first of its kind to combine federal and state resources in an effort to eradicate human trafficking through public education, training for law enforcement and community workers, and victim assistance" explained Rev. Dr. Sid L. Mohn, President of Heartland Alliance. The campaign will be unveiled on Tuesday, June 7, 2005 at 10:00 a.m. during a press conference at the Chicago Cultural Center. The event will include Dr. Wade Horn, Assistant Secretary, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Bishop Frank Kane, Auxiliary Bishop of Chicago; and Rev. Dr. Sid L. Mohn, president of Heartland Alliance. As part of the campaign launch, Heartland Alliance's Midwest Immigrant & Human Rights Center (MIHRC)-a member of the Freedom Network USA-the Illinois Department of Human Services, and Northwestern School of Law's Children and Family Justice Center and Bluhm Legal Clinic will host a seminar on counter-trafficking for law enforcement and service providers on June 8. "We hope that, with the passage of the Trafficking of Persons and Involuntary Servitude amendment and kick-off of the Rescue and Restore Campaign, Illinois can be an example to the rest of the country regarding cooperative commitment to end human trafficking," states Sid L. Mohn. |