(From L to R) Assembly Members Brian Maher, Jessica González-Rojas and Steven Raga sit before a roundtable of advocates and local communities. Photo: Office of Jessica González-Rojas.
Oct. 31, 2024 By Shane O’Brien
A number of elected officials met with community-based organizations and anti-trafficking experts in Jackson Heights Tuesday to discuss possible solutions for human trafficking in the local community.
Assembly Members Jessica González-Rojas, Steven Raga and Brian Maher gathered at Make the Road NY at 92-10 Roosevelt Ave. to meet with local organizations and advocates dedicated to immigrant communities on Tuesday.
González-Rojas, represents District 34, which encompasses the neighborhoods of Corona, East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and Woodside; Raga represents District 30, which covers the communities of Woodside, Elmhurst, Maspeth, Jackson Heights, Astoria, and Middle Village and Maher, a Republican representing District 101 in upstate New York which covers Delaware, Orange, Otsego, and Ulster counties, as well as the town of Brookfield in Madison County and the town of Neversink in Sullivan County. Maher is Co-Chair of the Statewide Minority Task Force on Human Trafficking and Exploitation.
The electeds were also joined by representatives from the offices of Queen Borough President Donovan Richards, U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, State Sen. Jessica Ramos, Assembly Member Catalina Cruz and Council Member Shekar Krishnan for the evening.
Anti-trafficking experts from the Legal Aid Society’s Exploitation Intervention Project (EIP) provided a presentation during Tuesday’s event, educating those present about the key indicators of human trafficking.
Those present on Tuesday heard that 404 cases of human trafficking have been identified in New York State since 2021, according to data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline.
Survivors of human trafficking also gave testimony during Tuesday’s roundtable, while faculty at Brown University and their Center for the Study of Slavery and Justice also provided information about human trafficking cases.
Organizations and groups represented at the roundtable included Community Board 4, Legal Aid Society, Voces Latina, Make the Road NY, APICHA, Safe Horizon, Metari, Red Canary Song, and Garden of Hope. The Office of Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz and the 110th and 115th police precincts were invited to the event but did not attend.
Attendees also broke into smaller groups during Tuesday’s event to brainstorm local efforts to educate the community about human trafficking as well as discuss what resources and legislation could help curb human trafficking at the local level.
González-Rojas, who chairs the Assembly’s Subcommittee on Human Trafficking, said Tuesday’s event marked an important step in the campaign to make the local community safer.
“Human trafficking is an insidious crime that requires diverse and strategic approaches. But it is equally important that we work with local organizations, anti-trafficking experts, and community leaders to do our part. Several survivors have stated that criminalization does not make them feel safe, so we have to be willing to use other tactics to curb human trafficking,” González-Rojas said in a statement.
“I am grateful to my colleagues, the advocates, and organizations that were present today and who are committed to working on this extremely complicated issue. This work won’t be done overnight. But this will provide us with important information as we prepare for the 2025 legislative and budget session next year so we can more intentionally address this issue.”
Featured Events
