Hope and Solutions for Immigrants Who are Victims of Human Trafficking
Recently, a woman came to the IRC with a horrific story of being smuggled by human traffickers and kept in bondage for nearly 10 years. She shared with us that for the past 10 years, she has been seeking a way to escape her traffickers and was finally able to get free. Now that she is free, she was ready to see what legal options she had. A T-Visa* was the path for this client - a special visa that is designed for trafficking victim/survivors in the U.S Since escaping the terrifying living conditions she was in after being smuggled into the U.S. our client was somehow able to live an independent life and find ways to support herself, even though she was undocumented. Working withT-Visa cases is emotional and difficult, requiring special care and training. Despite our client's incredible survival story, she still experiences deep trauma from her ordeal. Victimization from trafficking is a specific sort of traumatization, and at the IRC, we seek to provide attentive, trauma-informed care to our clients. In this case, we accompanied her to report the crimes she suffered. We assisted her in requesting the required background checks, gathering documentation, and applying for the T-Visa, which will give her protection from deportation and provide a work permit. In the future, she eventually will be eligible to apply for permanent residence, ending a decades long period of legal limbo. We are extremely honored to be a part of our client's journey toward wholeness, freedom and humanity!
From the desk of Bree Salthouse, Department of Justice Accredited Representative
For more information on the T-Visa see below:
*T nonimmigrant status is a temporary immigration benefit that enables certain victims of a severe form of trafficking to remain in the United States for an initial period of up to 4 years if they have complied with any reasonable request for assistance from law enforcement in the detection, investigation, or prosecution of human trafficking or qualify for an exemption or exception. T nonimmigrant status is also available to certain qualifying family members of trafficking victims. T nonimmigrants are eligible for employment authorization and certain federal and state benefits and services. T nonimmigrants who qualify may also be able to adjust their status and become lawful permanent residents (obtain a Green Card).