Civil Society Receives $40,000 Grant to Fight Human Trafficking

Linda Miller

Linda Miller
Linda Miller

Civil Society, a Minnesota non-profit helping domestic and international victims of human trafficking has received a $40,000 grant from the Otto Bremer Foundation to fight human trafficking.

A press release issued by Civil Society founder and Executive Director, Linda Miller noted the increase of sex trafficking through Minnesota, which is regarded as one of the highly trafficked states in the US to the oil field in North Dakota.

Miller stated that the grant will enhance the organization’s ability to serve foreign born victims of trafficking who are at a disadvantage because “they do not have access to the same benefits that a U.S. citizen has, such as Medical Assistance, subsidized low-income housing, and permission to work.”

“With the funding, Civil Society will make sure that foreign born victims have attorneys who will provide free immigration services allowing those victims to have the legal status and resources and stay in the country so they can testify in the prosecution of their traffickers,” she added.

Furthermore, Miller said that Civil Society joined the law enforcement to help to rescue a 12-year old girl from her trafficker when she was being allegedly transported to North Dakota for sex slavery. The girl, who received legal and psychological services, could have been deported and probably resold for sex without such help, she added.

Miller said: “Poor villagers in Central America are coerced or deceived into turning their daughters over for a small amount of money.  The children are then forced into involuntary labor and sexual slavery. A single victim can produce as much as $400,000.00 in annual revenue for a trafficker.”

 

Linda Miller Picture from Minnesota Public Radio: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2006/03/13/trafficking