Survivor Stories

Iris is a client at our Polaris Project New Jersey office. After President Obama spoke about human trafficking at the Clinton Global Initiative a number of our clients wrote him. Shared with permission.

Our National Human Trafficking Resource Center hotline referred Samantha to our Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Area Client Services. She shared her story at the launch of the Global Human Trafficking Hotline Network.

Claudia was a young woman from Latin America. She was picked up by local law enforcement who referred her to Polaris Project’s Client Services program. 

Thirteen year old Natalia was told by her parents she was moving to the U.S. with family friends who would allow her to receive an education and learn English. 

With four children between them and a 16-year relationship, Mari couldn’t imagine leaving Darrell. She didn’t see any viable options, even though he was physically abusive and forced her into commercial sex when money was tight.

Sarah met a kind and generous older guy after running away from a broken home. But once she moved in with this new boyfriend, he forced her into commercial sex to pay his rent.

After running away from her foster family at 14 due to sexual harassment, Keisha met an older man who offered to help her find her biological family. Then he forced her into commercial sex to pay him back.

Brittany met a man at her local mall who offered her a job at his restaurant. Instead of working as a waitress, Brittany was forced to sell sex in a hotel room.