Queens, NY – Today, Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas, Chair of the Subcommittee on Human Trafficking, Assembly Members Steven Raga and Brian Maher, along with representatives from the offices of Queen Borough President Donovan Richards, Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, State Senator Jessica Ramos, Assembly Member Catalina Cruz, and Council Member Shekar Krishnan gathered in Corona with local organizations and advocates dedicated to immigrant communities and other marginalized populations to discuss human trafficking in the community.

A presentation from anti-trafficking experts from the Legal Aid Society’s Exploitation Intervention Project (EIP) was provided to stakeholders to educate attendees of key indicators of human trafficking. According to the National Human Trafficking Hotline, 404 cases of human trafficking were identified in New York State in 2021.

González-Rojas previously passed legislation in 2021 to extend the timeline of work of the Interagency Task Force on Human Trafficking, which is charged with: coordinating the implementation of the new law; studying issues that may need further reform, including ensuring that victims are properly protected and assisted; collecting data on the extent of trafficking in the state; and recommending best practices for training and community outreach to help law enforcement, social service providers, prosecutors, defense attorneys, and the general public to recognize trafficking situations.

In January, the Assembly Member also introduced legislation with Senator Cordell Cleare, the New York CARES Act, which would provide temporary safety net and medical assistance to undocumented victims of crime, including victims of human trafficking, domestic violence, and torture.

Attendees also heard testimonies from survivors of human trafficking and from faculty at Brown University and their Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice. They then broke into various tables to brainstorm local efforts to educate the community about human trafficking, to discuss resources, and what budget investments and legislation could help curb human trafficking at the local level.

The organizations and groups represented at the roundtable included Community Board 4, Legal Aid Society, Voces Latina, Make the Road NY, APICHA, Safe Horizon, Metari, Red Canary Song, and Garden of Hope.

The Office of Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz as well as the 110th and 115th police precinct were also invited but they did not attend.

“Today was an important step in our pursuit to make our neighborhoods safer. Human trafficking is an insidious crime that requires diverse and strategic approaches. But it is equally important that we work with local organizations, anti-trafficking experts, and community leaders to do our part. Several survivors have stated that criminalization does not make them feel safe so we have to be willing to use other tactics to curb human trafficking. My bill, the New York CARES Act, would play a major role in helping victims by providing them with resources and stability so they can more readily escape trafficking situations,” said Assembly Member Jessica González-Rojas. “I am grateful to my colleagues, the advocates, and organizations that were present today and who are committed to working on this extremely complicated issue. This work won’t be done overnight. But this will provide us with important information as we prepare for the 2025 legislative and budget session next year so we can more intentionally address this issue.”