"Human Trafficking, Then and Now: New Directions and Approaches to Exploitation," Public Interest Law Journal Symposium

Human trafficking is a global problem. Yet, defining the scope is difficult, in part due to the underground nature of the problem and the fear that many survivors face. Many survivors do not self-identify. Moreover, legal and social service professionals, often uniquely positioned to engage with survivors, fail to effectively identify potential survivors. Additionally, survivors are often less likely to be believed and stigmatized when they speak out about their experiences. While a robust legal framework exists to prosecute perpetrators and provide legal protections, gaps remain. In particular, some activists and academics have criticized the present trafficking legal framework as overly focused on the criminal legal system, which disproportionately targets and damages BIPOC and LGBTQ+ persons. Many have argued that ongoing reform and change is needed to ensure that anti-trafficking approaches remain effective and viable. Through this Symposium, the Public Interest Law Journal (“PILJ”) will explore various approaches to trafficking prevention, including intersectional, trauma-informed, multidisciplinary, and non-carceral responses. Participants will also examine new and evolving promising practices that promote racial justice and accountability. Broken into four panels, panelists will first address the anti-trafficking framework that exists at both the state and federal level. They will examine the successes of state and federal efforts, and how to navigate the resulting jurisdictional challenges. The second panel will explore the different types of human trafficking prevalent in Massachusetts and the ways in which lawyers can support survivors. Specifically, the panelists will address the limits of criminal approaches to human trafficking and the emergence of solutions to confront these obstacles, including criminal record relief, as well as civil remedies that reduce reliance on law enforcement. The third panel will discuss immigration and human trafficking, notably recent policy changes that have created new obstacles to victim protection, hampered investigations into human trafficking networks, and distorted Americans’ perceptions of trafficking. The final panel will examine the impact of intersectional identities on victim protection. It will also explore how to construct effective approaches that consider the unique challenges faced by immigrant survivors. It will further discuss ways to make human trafficking legislation, policy, and work more intersectional to take into account a wider range of harms, experiences, and identities.