Professor Haynes with judges, prosecutors, and UN staff
On May 24, 2019, Professor Dina Francesca Haynes presented to a group of thirty-four judges, prosecutors, journalists, and UN staff who focus on human trafficking and migration.
The group was organized by the U.S. State Department, who asked Professor Haynes to share her expertise on the topic of human trafficking in the United States. The multi-regional group, ranging across thirty-two countries, represented a diverse geographic area, from Uganda to Djibouti, Burma/Myanmar to Israel.
After a presentation by Professor Haynes on the strengths and weaknesses of parallel federal and state laws and legal structure in combatting human trafficking, the group engaged in a focused discussion on the types of human trafficking taking place in the United States and their own countries, the problems with the proliferating worldwide narrative conflating refugees and human trafficking, and the increasing risk of deportation for undocumented victims of human trafficking who seek assistance from law enforcement in the United States.
The group expressed appreciation for the information and candid remarks, which they intend to use in understanding how they might address impediments to combatting human trafficking within their own countries. They left with draft chapters from Professor Haynes’ forthcoming textbook on human trafficking. The group intends to remain in contact for future collaboration and consultation.