Press Releases

Polaris Project, International Justice Mission join Governor McDonnell at signing ceremony

ANNANDALE, VA. (May 8, 2012) –  At a signing ceremony today, Governor Bob McDonnell signed into law three anti-human trafficking bills that further strengthen the Commonwealth’s ability to fight this crime and human rights abuse. Representatives from Polaris Project, International Justice Mission (IJM), and other anti-trafficking groups, as well as human trafficking survivors and community activists, joined the Governor at the signing ceremony to celebrate the laws’ passage. Over the past six months, Polaris Project and IJM had joined forces to help develop language for the legislation, provide expert information on human trafficking and increase public support to ensure the bills passed.

Charleston, WV (April 5, 2012) – At a signing ceremony this morning, Governor Earl Ray Tomblin officially made West Virginia the 49th state to pass criminal laws against human trafficking. Last month, the state legislature passed the state's first anti-human trafficking bill (HB 4053), which criminalizes both labor and sex trafficking and authorizes the training of law enforcement to identify and effectively investigate cases of human trafficking. Prior to the bill's passage, West Virginia was only one of two states in the nation without criminal laws against human trafficking. With the governor's signature, Wyoming is the only state left that has no criminal laws against sex or labor trafficking.

Statement by Bradley Myles, Executive Director, Polaris Project 

Washington, DC (March 15, 2012) – “Today’s meeting at the White House described the important steps that the Obama Administration has taken this year to tackle human trafficking and modern slavery in the United States and around the world. This is a historic year in the fight against human trafficking, as it is the 150th Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation. We commend all federal agencies that participated in the meeting for their public commitment to work together and with civil society to hold traffickers accountable and protect survivors across the country.

“Can You Walk Away?” Explores Human Trafficking in the United States

WASHINGTON, D.C., February 15, 2012 – President Lincoln’s Cottage, in partnership with Polaris Project, will open Can You Walk Away? Modern Slavery: Human Trafficking in the United States President’s Day weekend in the Robert H. Smith Visitor Education Center. The exhibit is part of a year-long commemoration of the 150^th Anniversary of Lincoln developing the Emancipation Proclamation at President Lincoln’s Cottage. Can You Walk Away? bridges the perceived gap between slavery past and present, and highlights the challenges and perceptions of slavery in America today. Can You Walk Away? will be open for 18 months, from February 17, 2012 through August 31, 2013.

Grant provided by Google.org will mobilize millions of Americans

WASHINGTON, D.C., December 14, 2011 – International Justice Mission (IJM), Polaris Project and Slavery Footprint announced today that they will be implementing a multi-impact unified initiative to mobilize millions of Americans to fight modern-day slavery around the world.

Google.org will be funding the creation of this $1.8 million unified initiative in the United States, as one of three multi-year global collaborative partnerships it will fund to implement aggressive, metrics-oriented programs to fight modern-day slavery in the United States and overseas.