To: John Kerry, Secretary of State
Human Trafficking and T-Visa Reform
Our goal is to raise awareness about human trafficking and the strict requirements the government has set for those seeking T-Visas in an effort to make them more easily obtainable for victims of human trafficking.
Why is this important?
Dear Secretary of State John Kerry,
As stated by Senator Paul Wellstone on July 7th 2000, it “is that quite often the victims [of human trafficking] are the ones who are punished, and these mobsters and criminals who are involved in the trafficking of these women and girls with this blatant exploitation get away with literally murder.” As you are aware, the trafficking of human beings is a form of modern-day slavery where people profit from the control and exploitation of others. This is unfortunately very common in the United States, especially in the labor force. Some of the common places where forced labor has been found range from small operations to large-scaled factories. While the Department of Homeland Security looks to protect victims, we find the T-Visa (T Nonimmigrant Status) to restrict this protection due to the incredibly stringent set of requirements for eligibility.
In your letter to the readers in the Trafficking in Persons Report of 2013, you state that human trafficking “tears apart families and communities1” and that we “have a moral obligation to meet this challenge head-on.” However, the stringent requirements to obtain a T-Visa only result in more challenges for victims of human trafficking. It is estimated that over 17,000 people are trafficked into the United States each year yet only slightly over half of the T-Visa applications submitted between 2002 and 2010 were approved.
We applaud the work being done by you and others such as Representative Chris Smith and Representative Sam Gejdenson in an attempt to prevent men, women, and children from being trafficked. However, we feel as though there is always room for improvement especially in regards to the stringent policies that govern the requirements for eligibility for T-Visas.
Sincerely,
Arthur, Enya, Jeran, Kathyrn and Dr. Paul Lopez, Ph.D
As stated by Senator Paul Wellstone on July 7th 2000, it “is that quite often the victims [of human trafficking] are the ones who are punished, and these mobsters and criminals who are involved in the trafficking of these women and girls with this blatant exploitation get away with literally murder.” As you are aware, the trafficking of human beings is a form of modern-day slavery where people profit from the control and exploitation of others. This is unfortunately very common in the United States, especially in the labor force. Some of the common places where forced labor has been found range from small operations to large-scaled factories. While the Department of Homeland Security looks to protect victims, we find the T-Visa (T Nonimmigrant Status) to restrict this protection due to the incredibly stringent set of requirements for eligibility.
In your letter to the readers in the Trafficking in Persons Report of 2013, you state that human trafficking “tears apart families and communities1” and that we “have a moral obligation to meet this challenge head-on.” However, the stringent requirements to obtain a T-Visa only result in more challenges for victims of human trafficking. It is estimated that over 17,000 people are trafficked into the United States each year yet only slightly over half of the T-Visa applications submitted between 2002 and 2010 were approved.
We applaud the work being done by you and others such as Representative Chris Smith and Representative Sam Gejdenson in an attempt to prevent men, women, and children from being trafficked. However, we feel as though there is always room for improvement especially in regards to the stringent policies that govern the requirements for eligibility for T-Visas.
Sincerely,
Arthur, Enya, Jeran, Kathyrn and Dr. Paul Lopez, Ph.D