Building Connections To Meet the Needs of Survivors: Dispatches From Fellows Advocating for Victims of Human Trafficking

In observance of the World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, Equal Justice Works spoke to Victoria Marie Sexton and Shawntel Williams about their work advocating for victims of human trafficking. Victoria is a 2019 Fellow who was sponsored by the Florida Bar Foundation and was hosted at Coast to Coast Legal Aid of South Florida, Inc. Shawntel is a 2023 Fellow sponsored by Albertsons and Kirkland & Ellis LLP. She is hosted at Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles (LAFLA). 

Victoria Marie Sexton 

As an Equal Justice Works Fellow, I represented survivors of human trafficking in holistic civil cases in Broward County Florida. Since my Fellowship ended, I have continued this work under a Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime Grant. We expanded our collaborative work with the Broward County State Attorney’s Office on human trafficking expungements and now work alongside local case managers to ensure all survivors with legal issues are identified and referred for legal services. 

What does an average day working with your clients look like? 

I engage in survivor-led legal representation, so my days look vastly different depending on the survivor, the legal issue, or how far post-victimization the survivor is in dealing with their legal hurdles. A typical day working with a survivor seeking an expungement includes meeting with the survivor, drafting pleadings, walking them through the process and timeline, and working in collaboration with our Broward Human Trafficking Assistant State Attorney to come to an agreement and submit the final order to the court. 

What have you accomplished and learned so far? 

Patience and collaboration are two of the biggest things I have accomplished and learned working in this field. Survivors are dealing with so many different issues post-victimization. As advocates, we need to listen carefully to them, ensure their autonomy is respected, and be patient and supportive of them throughout the process.  We also must avoid siloing ourselves based on our fields, as collaboration with one another is pivotal to providing survivors with comprehensive services to address all their needs and make a meaningful difference in their lives. 

What are you most excited about continuing your work? 

I hope to continue to expand our program to reach more survivors. Witnessing how pivotal legal representation is to survivors has solidified and reinforced my passion for this work. Over the last several months, I have seen how important collaboration is to meet all the needs of survivors. I hope to continue to grow and innovate the way we collaborate in Broward County for survivors. 

What is something that you would like people to take away from this awareness day? 

Human trafficking impacts everyone. Be informed, find a way to help, and join us in making a difference. 

Shawntel Williams 

In my project, I advocate on behalf of Filipino migrants who are survivors of labor trafficking by providing them with holistic legal representation to redress the economic and emotional harm they endured throughout their trafficking. With the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, I’ve started a legal clinic for Filipino migrant workers that focuses on immigration, worker and employment rights, housing, public benefits, and family law issues as well. 

What does an average day working with your clients look like? 

On an average day, my day consists of interviewing victims and identifying various areas of support for them —often in immigration issues. I work closely with social service providers to ensure that victims also receive emergency housing, mental health counseling, and public benefits support. On clinic days, I work with local community-based organizations in areas with high Filipino migrant populations to provide on the spot intakes, counsel and advice, and support. This work case-specific, as we see people come to LAFLA at various stages. Some individuals come to us for help having been trafficked years prior because they are still suffering the lingering harm stemming from their exploitation. Others may come to LAFLA in the midst of their trafficking or shortly after their escape. I work closely with others in the API Community Outreach Project to identify the options and strategies best suited to meeting the goals of each individual. 

What have you accomplished/ learned so far? 

Through my work, I have learned the most directly from the survivors of trafficking who I’ve provided legal services to, both within the Filipino community and the API community as a whole. Hearing their stories and witnessing their immense resilience and strength has energized me throughout this work. Additionally, I’ve seen firsthand the benefits of being able to provide individuals that have Limited English Proficiency (LEP) with meaningful in-language legal support. One way we’ve promoted language justice is by creating a direct Filipino legal hotline that community members can call to inquire about their legal questions at LAFLA.  

What are you most excited about continuing your project? 

Coming to Los Angeles from another state, I wanted to prioritize learning from community workers and labor trafficking survivors who are well-versed in this work in Southern California and have lived experience in issues of human trafficking and worker exploitation. I feel so fortunate that I’ve been able to connect and collaborate with these individuals because their input is invaluable in the structure and focus of my work. I’m looking forward to the continued collaboration and partnership to promote further outreach to the Pinoy community. 

What is something that you would like people to take away from this awareness day? 

For World Day Against Trafficking in Persons, I hope people gain an awareness of the signs of labor trafficking and of the support resources available to victims. More importantly, I want to emphasize the importance of confronting biases and misconceptions surrounding human trafficking so that victims are not blamed for their circumstances. 

To learn more about the Fellows who provide legal aid and resources to those affected by human trafficking, click here.