Where and how to report labor trafficking for adults pursuing T visas

Speakers: Helen Tarokic, Attorney, Wilmington, NC

Speaker Qualifications:

Helen Tarokic is the owner of Helen Tarokic Law PLLC. She is the author of Ignite your Practice with the T Visa. She is a NC Board Certified Immigration Law Specialist who handles anti-trafficking casework, including T and U visas for victims of crime. Attorney Tarokic graduated from Wake Forest University School of Law in August of 2006. She is a licensed attorney in Wilmington, NC. She is an active AILA Member. She speaks English, Spanish, and Croatian. Her law firm handles many different types of immigration & naturalization matters, including business immigration, family-based cases, humanitarian applications, non-detained removal defense, and U.S. citizenship applications. She has been an invited speaker at many national and international conferences and has co-counseled on litigation related to immigration categories including T, U, H-1B and permanent residency.

During this hour, the following questions and answers will be reviewed in detail:

• Ethical and practical concerns regarding reporting labor trafficking while the individual is still being trafficked by the employer, and remains dependent on the income received while working

• What may be included in a research report or case analysis/opinion letter to help document information for reporting to civil or criminal attorneys?

• The new T visa policy manual and some new provisions in it that may help develop affidavits in support of applications for T visa status due to labor trafficking

• Hard vs “Soft” reporting – and why having the victim statement developed before reporting happens may be helpful to choosing what type of reporting and where

• Jurisdiction; age and ability of client; where the lawyer is; where the client is; what are the goals of representation; what do we know about LEA training for the potential places to report

• Goals of an LEA interview when a case will be presented as a T visa to USCIS

• Reporting to patrol or non-emergency numbers to initiate a case and flag it for someone at a labor trafficking desk

• What happens when you’re told “Ma’am this is a civil matter” when it’s really criminal labor trafficking

• Does it matter if the LEA understands trafficking?

• Reporting to Polaris – what really happens there

• Documenting cooperation with an attorney affidavit; supplementing your client’s victim statement with information related to reporting and cooperation

• Why is there no one size fits all!!!?? and other Q&A (30 mins)

For this event, it’s okay for lawyers and their paralegals to attend