#TheCourtOrder | Combating Human Trafficking Impact Award

My first T-Visa client.

💙 I still remember when "T" came into my office. She drew a picture of a mango tree that grew in front of her grandmother’s house. A common practice of mine was to ask children to draw a picture of their favorite home growing up during our first meeting. Building rapport with children who have endured immense trauma is never easy, but that moment when they begin to open up is truly indescribable.

💙I quickly learned that she was a victim—now a survivor—of human trafficking. She was my first T-Visa client and the first of many during my time as a litigator with The Advocates for Human Rights and the Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition.

💙Years later, while my advocacy has taken on a new form, my mission remains the same. At the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority (MWAA), I’ve had the unique privilege of collaborating with the U.S. Department of Transportation and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Security’s Blue Lightning Campaign to combat human trafficking in aviation. Recently, I led the "Combatting Human Trafficking in Aviation" annual event. This event brought together airlines, hotels, concessionaires, chambers of commerce, and government leaders to learn how to identify the signs of human trafficking and address it within the airport ecosystem.

💙Through these efforts, we also collected over 120 hygiene donations for Bethany House of Northern Virginia, supporting survivors in need. I led MWAA’s first-ever application for the DOT’s 2024 Combating Human Trafficking in Transportation Impact Award, and I’m proud to share that we earned 2nd place in this national competition.

💙This year, Human Trafficking Awareness has become a required learning topic for all MWAA team members. Thank you to everyone who has raised awareness and educated their teams on this vital issue. Together, we can make a difference.

Learn more and join the effort: https://lnkd.in/epa7jwkq