Thread: CA: Santa Clara University receives federal grant to stop hu

Santa Clara University receives federal grant to stop human trafficking

By Joe Rodriguez

Posted: 12/01/2009 05:25:59 PM PST
Updated: 12/01/2009 09:38:23 PM PST

A nonprofit law center at Santa Clara University has won a $300,000 federal grant to help victims of human trafficking who were promised a shot at the America dream only to be abused and betrayed.

The U.S. State Department recently said about 17,500 people are trafficked into the country every year; the SCU law center described trafficking as a little-known but persistent problem in the South Bay.

"This is the closest thing we have in America to modern-day slavery," Lynette Parker, an immigration lawyer with the university's Katharine & George Alexander Community Law Center, said in a statement announcing the grant Tuesday.

The two-year grant from the U.S. Department of Justice will help the law center represent more victims and help pay for counseling, housing and even clothing. Victims of human smuggling and abuse tend to be undocumented immigrants eligible for legal residency if their cases are pursued by police and prosecutors.

The law center says local victims tend be female immigrants brought here legally or illegally under false pretenses by friends, relatives or smugglers posing as legitimate employers or contractors. Promised decent jobs in restaurants, homes or farms, the victims are instead forced to work long hours at little or no pay and, in some cases, raped or forced into the sex trade.

Sergio Lopez, a spokesman for the law center, said its lawyers have represented 25 to 30 alleged victims in the South Bay
Advertisement
since taking on its first human trafficking case in 2003. While that involved an overworked and underpaid Palo Alto housekeeper from Kenya, most victims today are women from Latin America or Asia.

Lopez said trafficking in the valley is hard to measure because many victims fear retaliation if they come forward.

"These folks have been through a lot of trauma,'' he said, "and the last thing they want to do is attract the attention of the perpetrators. There's a genuine fear among our clients."

The law center intends to share the grant with other organizations, including the YWCA Rape Crisis center and the South Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking. The coalition also works with a San Jose Police Department task force to stop human trafficking.

Patty Bennett, a member of the coalition, said the money will help buy basic necessities and "make life just a little easier after their ordeal."

http://www.mercurynews.com/valley/ci_13903245

Victims of human smuggling and abuse tend to be undocumented immigrants eligible for legal residency if their cases are pursued by police and prosecutors.

This needs to end, anyone agree?

Originally Posted by jonhaloi

Victims of human smuggling and abuse tend to be undocumented immigrants eligible for legal residency if their cases are pursued by police and prosecutors.

This needs to end, anyone agree?

Yeah, it needs to end and pronto.

Originally Posted by jonhaloi

Victims of human smuggling and abuse tend to be undocumented immigrants eligible for legal residency if their cases are pursued by police and prosecutors.

This needs to end, anyone agree?

Absolutely!

Santa Clara University receives federal grant to stop human trafficking

How about a federal grant to explore ways in which to stop illegal immigration, the perversion of our 14th Amendment, and the scumbag employers who hire them?

That would be tax dollars well spent!

Originally Posted by jonhaloi

Victims of human smuggling and abuse tend to be undocumented immigrants eligible for legal residency if their cases are pursued by police and prosecutors.

This needs to end, anyone agree?

Ditto!

The two-year grant from the U.S. Department of Justice

This is BS...this is a grant from the American tax payer, just who do these people think they are using our money like this...they should go to jail for aiding and abetting and misapropriating taxpayer funds!

What the hell happen to law enforcement in this country? and the Justice department of all people, who are suppose to be protecting American citizens....what crap

More redistribution of wealth.....Americans don't have!!

Where are Califorinans who were just taxed 10% for loans to the state without their permission?

Wouldn't we be separating them from their families by keeping them here? Send them back and keep their families intact!

jonhaloi wrote:

"Victims of human smuggling and abuse tend to be undocumented immigrants eligible for legal residency if their cases are pursued by police and prosecutors.

This needs to end, anyone agree?"

Absolutely. And Sosadforus is entirely correct in pointing out that this is not "a grant from the Department of Justice"; it is "a grant from the U.S. taxpayer"!!!

Originally Posted by jonhaloi

Victims of human smuggling and abuse tend to be undocumented immigrants eligible for legal residency if their cases are pursued by police and prosecutors.

This needs to end, anyone agree?

Yes it needs to end. Abuse or not, the fact remains that they did enter illegally. Give them ticket home....that is it. Giviing them legal residencey only encourages more human trafficking. Put an end to it. And imprison the perpetrators for like 50 years....no parole