February 1st is Freedom Day, the anniversary of President Abraham Lincoln signing the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865 to abolish legal slavery in the United States. It caps off National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, a time to reflect on that fact that forced labor...
Author: ATEST
The Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking (ATEST) is a U.S. based coalition that advocates for solutions to prevent and end all forms of human trafficking and modern slavery around the world.
ATEST Testifies Before House Homeland Security Committee
Stressing the need for “whole-of-government” solutions, ATEST Director Terry FitzPatrick testified before a joint hearing of two Congressional subcommittees this week. The committees were investigating human trafficking along the southern border, and connections to transnational...
Historic Capitol Hill Briefing by Experts with Lived Experience
With a surge in public interest from a summer movie about international child sex trafficking and recent news reports of child labor abuses at workplaces in the United States, Congress is looking to enact new legislation to address human trafficking and forced labor. To...
CNN op-ed: Five reasons I’m optimistic despite grim new statistics on forced labor
ATEST Director Terry FitzPatrick today explained why he's personally hopeful even thought new statistics indicate the number of people in forced labor is growing. CNN -- It would be understandable to regard last week’s news about the scope of forced labor as dispiriting. Despite two...
ATEST Hires New Director
WASHINGTON -- The Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking (ATEST) is thrilled to announce that Terry FitzPatrick has begun work this month in the newly created position of ATEST director. His appointment will significantly expand the alliance’s capacity to conduct advocacy with members...
ATEST is Hiring a Director
Thanks to a generous grant from United Way Worldwide, ATEST is now hiring a director. The position description is below. Deadline for applications is September 10, 2021. Consultancy Description Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking Director Background · The anti-trafficking...
ATEST Joins “Freedom Needs Truth” Open Letter about QAnon
An open letter to Candidates, the Media, Political Parties, and Policymakers: As survivors, service providers, human and labor rights advocates, law enforcement officials, researchers and policy experts, we know human trafficking is real. For decades we have worked to raise awareness,...
ATEST Opposes Proposed Asylum Rule
To: Lauren Alder Reid, Assistant Director Office of Policy Executive Office for Immigration Review RE: Comments in Response to the United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) and Department of Justice...
ATEST Challenges Tier 1 Ranking for U.S. in 2020 TIP Report
WASHINGTON – The 2020 Trafficking in Persons (TIP) Report, released Thursday, marks the 20th time the U.S. State Department has ranked how well the world’s governments are responding to forced labor and human trafficking and the 10th year the U.S. government has ranked...
Joint Statement on COVID-19 Supplemental Funding
As anti-trafficking advocates mobilize to support their clients and those most vulnerable to human trafficking and exploitation during this unprecedented global health crisis, we urge policymakers to prioritize critical supplemental funding requests, including those for direct services,...