Drafter
Clerk 07/25/2018
Title
A MOTION calling on the King County executive to support efforts to combat human trafficking through the funding and implementation of labor trafficking training and funding of procurement practices recommended in the report.
Body
WHEREAS, human trafficking has been found to be prevalent in many sectors, it is a hidden crime and identification of victims is difficult, thus contributing to complications and challenges to identify and assist victims and survivors, and
WHEREAS, trafficking is defined by the federal Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act, as the "recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coercion for the purposes of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery," and
WHEREAS, King County should prioritize funding and intervention for human trafficking survivors to provide victims and survivors an opportunity to recover and achieve their full potential, and
WHEREAS, the needs of human trafficking victims and survivors include case management, emergency shelter and long term housing, cash and food assistance, employment and job readiness and placement, education, legal and physical and mental health services, and
WHEREAS, the most significant need for victims and survivors tends to be housing support, usually for three to five years, and
WHEREAS, the immigration status can be one of the greatest challenges in providing services to human trafficking victims and survivors, and
WHEREAS, many human trafficking victims and survivors are foreign nationals who have entered the United States and have either overstayed their temporary visa or are undocumented, and who are not legally authorized to work in the United States, and
WHEREAS, until the human trafficking victims and survivors receive a T visa or other form of legal status, they are not eligible to receive assistance through ...

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