February 23, 2015

Statewide Anti-Human Trafficking Conference

On February 23, 2015, James L. Santelle, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of Wisconsin announced that more than 650 people have registered for “Not for Sale”: Wisconsin’s Response to Human Trafficking conference that will take place February 24-25, 2015, at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Milwaukee, WI. Attendees include representatives from law enforcement, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), social service agencies, and medical professionals. The conference is designed to serve as an educational platform for professionals and skilled volunteers working in the area of human trafficking.

The conference will showcase both local and national experts in sex and labor trafficking. A sampling of the national presenters include: Ms. Rachel Lloyd founder of Girls Educational and Mentoring Services (GEMS) of New York; Prof. Bridgette Carr of the University of Michigan Law School, Human Trafficking Clinic; Attorney Katherine Kaufka Walts of Loyola University Chicago, Center for the Human Rights of Children; and Prof. Celia Williamson, University of Toledo, Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute. The conference will also include presentations by Wisconsin advocates, law enforcement officers and prosecutors.

International trafficking will be discussed by special invited guests from the Office of the Attorney General for Mexico and the Collective Against Trafficking, an organization of 15 Mexican NGOs. Nelly Montealegre Diaz, Special Prosecutor in Charge of Crimes of Violence Against Women and Trafficking together with Mónica Elizabeth Salazar, Director of the Collective Against Trafficking will address the topic of U.S. and Mexican law enforcement working together to combat cross-border trafficking of children.

The conference is sponsored by the City of Milwaukee Health Department-Office of Violence Prevention, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Homeland Security Investigations, Human Trafficking Task Force of Greater Milwaukee, Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office, Milwaukee Police Department, National Immigrant Justice Center, Sheboygan Police Department, UMOS, Inc.—Latina Resource Center, United States Attorney’s Office, Eastern and Western Districts of Wisconsin, and the Wisconsin Department of Justice.