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Marking National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, the January 2026 USCRI Newsletter shares a recent report examining the impact of USCRI’s anti-trafficking programs, in addition to a recording of the hybrid event held this month to discuss the report’s findings. You will find a piece commemorating Holocaust Remembrance Day from the USCRI Archives by Elie Wiesel, an announcement of the expansion of Keep Girls Dreaming in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya, and a blog post from staff in Kenya reflecting on her first visit to the camp.
Additionally, you will find blog posts written by two Anti-Trafficking staff in honor of National Human Trafficking Prevention Month, and the stories of Venezuelan refugees whose lives have been shaped by hunger, repression, and exile. |
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USCRI, in partnership with the University of South Carolina, is proud to share "Building a National Response for Trafficking Survivors," a new preliminary report examining the impact of the Trafficking Victim Assistance Program (TVAP) and Aspire: Child Trafficking Victim Assistance Program.
Drawing on insights from case managers, supervisors, and staff nationwide, the report highlights the critical role of survivor-centered case management, while also identifying key challenges like limited funding and delays in T-visas and public benefits.
These early findings help fill a major data gap and offer important guidance for policymakers, practitioners, and partners working to strengthen the national response to human trafficking.
Click the button below to read the full report and learn how TVAP and Aspire are supporting survivors and where systems can be strengthened. |
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On January 21, USCRI held a panel event: “Updates From the Front Lines: Serving Immigrants Trafficking Survivors in 2026.” Speakers included experts from USCRI, the University of South Carolina, Georgetown University’s Institute for the Study of International Migration, Asylee Women Enterprise, and Ayuda. Thank you to our panelists for joining this important discussion. The event was attended by nearly 300 people from across the country, both online and in person.
From funding constraints to immigration barriers and trauma-informed care, this panel explored what’s working, what’s not, and where we go next.
Click here to watch the full event. |
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| | Holocaust Remembrance Day - Remember Today’s Refugees |
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| January 27 was Holocaust Remembrance Day. We remember the victims of the Holocaust: those denied asylum fleeing from it, those killed in concentration camps, and those displaced in its aftermath.
In an archived piece from USCRI’s 1997 World Refugee Survey, Elie Wiesel likened global refugee policy to that of a passenger waiting for a bus. After boarding the bus, the passenger urges the driver not to allow ‘others’ to delay their departure. Wiesel envisioned a world where the bus could afford to wait another minute for others. But today’s treatment of refugees fits the bill of the hurried, impatient passenger.
Click the button below to read the full blog. |
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| As Humanitarian Response Collapses, USCRI Kenya Expands Keep Girls Dreaming |
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| As the humanitarian response continues to collapse in Kakuma Refugee Camp, USCRI Kenya is expanding the Keep Girls Dreaming program to reach more unaccompanied girls with critical support — from menstrual hygiene supplies and food assistance to school materials and child protection services.
Earlier this month, our team held meetings with refugee community leaders, the Government of Kenya, and non-governmental organizations to better understand urgent needs and strengthen coordination on the ground. These conversations are shaping how we expand, ensuring support is responsive, dignified, and led by those closest to the challenges.
Every girl deserves safety, dignity, and the chance to dream. Together with the community, we’re committed to protecting that future.
Click the button below to read the full press release. |
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| Venezuela in Exile: Refugee Stories |
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| Nearly eight million Venezuelans have been forced to flee their country as a result of political persecution and a prolonged humanitarian emergency. Today, nearly seven million live in exile across Latin America, with Colombia hosting the largest share.
As their numbers have grown, access to protection has eroded. Refugees face legal uncertainty, poverty, and exclusion — often long after escaping direct violence.
With Venezuela entering a new political moment, the path forward must center the voices of those displaced. Understanding this crisis requires listening to those who lived it. This piece shares the stories of three Venezuelan refugees whose lives were shaped by hunger, repression, and exile.
Click the button below to read the stories of Marisol*, Santiago*, and Mateo*. |
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| The Invisible Work That Saves Lives: Honoring Survivors Through Care, Advocacy, and Trust |
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| “This is the work that keeps people alive.”
From supporting young mothers to helping families reunite after years of separation, case managers provide care that is powerful — and often invisible. In this personal reflection, a USCRI Case Manager shares what it means to stand beside survivors of human trafficking as they rebuild their lives, on their own terms.
Serving survivors is not about saving them. It’s about honoring their strength and walking with them toward freedom.
Click the button below to read the full blog. |
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| | | With you on our side, USCRI can support those who need it most. |
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| USCRI Kenya’s Sylvia Maru Reflects on Visiting Kakuma Refugee Camp |
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| Anti-Trafficking’s Lindsey Draper on Human Trafficking Prevention Month |
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| Defending the Right to Work: Why USCRI Called on DHS to Withdraw a Harmful Rule |
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| The U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants (USCRI), established in 1911, is an international, nonprofit organization dedicated to addressing the needs and rights of refugees and immigrants. |
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