Legal Aid Society Secures $2 Million Grant to Address Human Trafficking in the Agricultural Industry in Central and Northern Illinois
Contact:
Bridget Hatch | 312.579.6541 | hatchb@metrofamily.org
Ann Pinkney | 312.986.4032 | pinkneya@metrofamily.org
Legal Aid Society Secures $2 Million Grant to Address Human Trafficking in the Agricultural Industry in Central and Northern Illinois
CHICAGO (November 3, 2021) – The Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services (LAS) has secured a $2 million grant to fund and expand legal services and outreach to agricultural workers in Central and Northern Illinois who are at risk for human trafficking. The grant, funded by the Howard G. Buffett Foundation, will allow LAS to establish a new physical location in the heart of Illinois’s agricultural district, expanding its service area beyond Cook and DuPage Counties for the first time.
Three attorneys and one paralegal will comprise the new legal team, who will be based in Central Illinois. The attorneys will assist clients in reporting trafficking cases to law enforcement, provide victim rights advocacy, assist in immigration matters including T-visas, work with federal agencies on wage claims and workplace violations, and file civil litigation to recover lost wages and damages. The paralegal will assist the attorneys with all legal matters and in worker outreach. In addition, this grant will support an outreach team based out of LAS’ headquarters in Chicago, Ill., who will travel throughout Northern and Central Illinois.
“There is no one else in the entire Midwest region who is as well-positioned to provide the spectrum of services the Legal Aid Society offers, for all victims of human trafficking: in-person outreach, provision of social services under the same umbrella, and the long-term leadership of the Illinois Statewide Human Trafficking Task Force,” says Legal Aid Society Executive Director Miguel Keberlein. “The decades of experience and dedication the team brings makes LAS stand out as the organization most prepared to implement the project and reduce human trafficking in Illinois.”
About the Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services
The Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services (LAS) pioneered the concept of equal access to justice more than 135 years ago. LAS provides critical legal services to low-income families in the Chicago area, protecting them in cases of domestic violence, elder abuse, housing and consumer issues, and human trafficking. Today LAS serves more than 20,400 families and individuals each year.
LAS is part of Metropolitan Family Services, which has been empowering Chicago-area families to reach their greatest potential and positively impact their communities since 1857. www.metrofamily.org