Now I can finally breathe and sleep.”
- Tina (survivor’s real name has been changed), December 2019
Tina knows how creative and relentless traffickers are in their abuse. Even after she physically escaped, her trafficker found ways to harass her using the local justice system. The trafficker filed a restraining order against Tina without her knowledge. Tina was then arrested on 4 separate occasions for unknowingly violating the order. As a result, she was living in a constant state of fear of being arrested.
Within one day of Tina’s request, ALIGHT connected her to Jes Jones, who specializes in criminal law and is part of ALIGHT’s mobilized legal network. Week after week, Ms. Jones fought the four charges, and took specific measures to help Tina have peace of mind. Ms. Jones called with weekly case updates and advocated with Tina’s public defender and local service providers. Everyone pitched in, including taking turns to sit with Tina during the hearings while her abuser was there and covering transportation costs.
After receiving nearly $10,000 in legal services through ALIGHT, Tina’s 3 criminal charges were dropped and the 4th charge was settled. She can now pursue immigration status, and not be blocked from applying for jobs.
Tina is just one example of how ALIGHT’s innovative and rapid response system translates into a fresh start for human trafficking survivors.