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The monthly Newsletter of the Center for Countering Human Trafficking
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At the Center
CCHT Tackles Labor Trafficking with Harriet Tubman Fellows
In late July, The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT) hosted the inaugural class of the Harriet Tubman Fellowship for Labor Trafficking Survivors to discuss the Center’s efforts in combating human trafficking and ideas for future collaboration.
The Fellowship was created to empower individuals who have experienced human trafficking by equipping them with the skills to pursue leadership roles in the non-profit, private, and public sectors.
The seven fellows, led by the founding director of the program, Evelyn Chumbow, shared their experiences, challenges, and plans to help other people victimized by human trafficking crimes. Fellows emphasized the need for expanded financial and psychological services after being released from their abusers.
Chumbow herself survived labor trafficking. When she was nine years old, she arrived in the United States from Cameroon and was forced into domestic servitude where she was abused until she was 18 years old. She was denied an education and opportunities that would have helped her create a stable life. Before she launched the Fellowship, she reflected on the idea of freedom. She concluded that true freedom must include financial stability.
To that end, Harriet Tubman Fellows receive tuition support of up to $10,000 annually for short-term certificate training programs and a $500-a-month stipend for the two-year program. "It was an honor to host the inaugural class of the Harriet Tubman Fellowship,” said CCHT’s acting Unit Chief for Strategic Communications Brandi Bynum. “Providing a powerful platform for dialogue is the first step in curating a meaningful partnership. It’s truly remarkable when labor trafficking survivor-leaders are not only heard but also given a seat at the table to discuss critical issues."
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Blue Campaign Corner
Anti-Human Trafficking Resources for Higher Education Institutions
K-12 students aren’t the only ones flocking back into America’s classrooms. College students, professors, and university administrators have also returned to campus. While #HumanTrafficking awareness may not be on the course syllabus, it is an important part of keeping any campus community safe. That’s because college students are particularly vulnerable to this crime, whether due to living away from home, often for the first time, or economic instability and dependence. Understanding this, Blue Campaign has created higher-education-centered resources for students, staff, and campus law enforcement. The following materials contain information to help keep human trafficking out of campus life.
Follow @DHSBlueCampaign on X, Facebook, and Instagram for higher education resources throughout September.
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Blue Campaign and Lyft Team Up to Launch Nationwide Tutorial
Last month, more than one million Lyft drivers across the United States and Canada were granted access to a first-of-its-kind tutorial program to help them detect and prevent human trafficking. The tutorial, a result of a months-long partnership between DHS’s Blue Campaign and Lyft, Inc., launched in February with a pilot in Las Vegas during Super Bowl LVIII. It’s now accessible to all Lyft drivers through their in-app Learning Center. The tutorial will equip rideshare drivers to recognize the signs that indicate someone may be a victim of the crime and provide them with guidance on how to contact the appropriate authorities. The partnership is the latest effort in DHS’s mission to increase access to resources for those in the passenger transportation service industry.
Read the full press release to learn more.
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HSI Norfolk Investigation Secures 32-year Sentence for Child Sex Trafficker
An investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Norfolk and the Virginia Beach Police Department resulted in the sentencing of a Portsmouth man to 32 years in federal prison.
Pierre De Romeo Smith, 40, was sentenced in June following his conviction for sex trafficking, production of child sexual abuse material, possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and unlawful possession of a firearm.
“Through his monstrous actions, Pierre De Romeo Smith victimized a minor and posed a significant threat to the members of our Virginia communities. He deserves every day of this prison sentence,” said HSI Washington, D.C. Special Agent in Charge Derek W. Gordon. “We are extremely honored to have worked with our law enforcement partners to ensure that justice was served in this case.”
Read more about the investigation in the Department of Justice press release.
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To report suspected human trafficking to federal law enforcement, call 1-866-347-2423.
To get help from the National Human Trafficking Hotline, call 1-888-373-7888 or text HELP or INFO to BeFree (233733).
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