Stephanie Richard

AB 1362 is now law — a first-in-the-nation step to prevent immigrant labor trafficking.

Now comes the hard part: ensuring enforcement and expanding protections until every visa worker is covered.

Watch highlights from last week’s press conference ⬇️

Last night @governor.ca.gov signed AB 1362, closing a decade-long accountability gap.

Now, CA can stop labor trafficking at the source—a first step toward protections for all workers.

Watch live at 10:30am: youtube.com/live/qegtKabeGza

Graphic with a blue background, orange butterfly, and white and red bold text that reads: “Tell Gov. Newsom to Sign AB 1362.” Below are three numbered steps: Visit gov.ca.gov/contact and leave a comment for an “active bill.” Select “AB 1362 – Foreign Labor Contractor Registration.” Leave a comment. At the bottom is the Loyola Law School, Loyola Marymount University, Sunita Jain Anti-Trafficking Initiative logo and name.

Agricultural workers put food on our tables. They deserve protection from traffickers and abusive recruiters. Tell @governor.ca.gov to sign AB 1362.
👉 gov.ca.gov/contact

This week we stood with the community at the LA County Board of Supervisors:

✅ $29.8M rent relief for families hit by wildfires & ICE raids
✅ Exploring an eviction moratorium

💡 Housing stability prevents exploitation and trafficking.

🙏 Thanks @lacountybos.bsky.social for listening.

41,000 California farmworkers are at risk from predatory recruiters.

44,000 Californians have spoken: it’s time to act.

@governor.ca.gov— will you listen? Sign #AB1362 to stop trafficking.

Learn more → lls.edu/sunitajain/AB-1362

#ProtectWorkers #FarmworkerJustice #CaliforniaLeadership

🔥 Featured in The Guardian: Experts warn the Trump admin is retreating on efforts to fight human trafficking & child exploitation. Decades of progress are at risk. Nonprofits are speaking out — and we should be too.
Read Full Piece: https://bit.ly/4nEf0Sy

Grateful to the First Partner’s Office — especially Holly Martinez & Maggie Arsala — for meeting with our team and survivor leaders.

A powerful step toward survivor-informed solutions to prevent trafficking in CA.

#EndHumanTrafficking #SurvivorVoices #CaliforniaTogether

Graphic with headline text: “Protect Workers, Protect California.” Below, a red banner reads “Save the Date!” Event details: “Urge Governor Newsom to Sign AB 1362. Thursday, October 2, 2025, 10:00 AM. California State Capitol Steps, Sacramento.” A photo of the California State Capitol dome is on the right, with a butterfly graphic beside it. Additional text at the bottom: “Join Assemblymember Ash Kalra, survivors, and advocates as we call on Governor Newsom to sign AB 1362. This bill ensures more than 40,000 H-2A farmworkers in California are protected from trafficking and abuse.” Loyola Law School Sunita Jain Anti-Trafficking Initiative logo appears at the bottom left, with RSVP link tinyurl.com/3xchdffe at the bottom right.

On October 2, join @ashkalra.bsky.social, survivors, and advocates at the California Capitol as we urge @governor.ca.gov to sign #AB1362.

This bill ensures 40,000+ H-2A workers in California are protected from trafficking and abuse.

RSVP: tinyurl.com/3xchdffe

#ProtectWorkers #ProtectCalifornia

Trump-era policies fuel trafficking by silencing victims through fear. Prof. Stephanie Richard explains why real policy change is urgent. #EndHumanTrafficking #SJI

Graphic: “AG Bonta Opposes Trump’s Rollback of Farmworker Protections. Pass AB 1362 – Protect Workers Before Exploitation.”

Trump’s roll back strips farmworkers of basic protections. Proud to stand with agrobbonta.oag.ca.gov in opposing this attack.

CA can step up with #AB1362 —holding recruiters accountable & protecting workers before abuse begins.

Learn more: www.lls.edu/sunitajain/AB-1362

California spent $18.98B in one year — that's major purchasing power. AB 381 would align state buying with federal anti-trafficking standards. No extra cost. Big impact. Let's lead with ethical, responsible procurement. Pass AB 381. #EndHumanTrafficking #CALeg

California bill fights predatory labor trafficking practices targeting migrant workers | Opinion “I wished someone had told me I had rights. And I wished labor protections in this country meant something — not just in writing, but in practice.”

“So many temporary workers come to California full of hope, only to find themselves exploited, silenced and forgotten.”

Avelino Reloj shares his story and why CA must pass #AB1362 on @sacbee.com.

Now it’s up to @governor.ca.gov.

🔗 tinyurl.com/avelinoAB1362

#LaborTrafficking #CALeg

The recent ICE raids at LA workplaces don’t just spread fear—they force immigrant workers, including trafficking survivors, into greater silence and isolation.
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We need an approach that protects, not punishes. ICE should be fighting human trafficking, not fueling it through intimidation.
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Survivors shouldn’t have to defend how they survived. The Diddy trial shows we still blame victims for their trauma responses. As featured in the LA Times, we must listen, learn, and stand with survivors. #TraumaInformed #BelieveSurvivors
Full article: www.latimes.com/california/s...

REPOST AND HELP US SHARE!
Survivors deserve the mic!

#Survivor #HumanTrafficking #LaborTrafficking #DiddyCase @latimes.com

@nsn.bsky.social @immigrantsurvivors.bsky.social @hrw.org @htlegalcenter.bsky.social @vera.org

HAPPENING NOW: Lessons from the frontlines: Protecting migrant workers in California

Ambassadors Luis C. deBaca and John Richmond share their profound insights on the complexities of foreign labor contracts and underscore the urgent need to extend vital anti-trafficking protections.

Ambassador John Richmond shared that human trafficking is a multifaceted and deeply rooted global crisis that takes many forms, each with devastating impacts on its victims. It's not limited to one type of exploitation but includes a broad spectrum of abuses across different populations and regions.

Survivors are the experts. Will @billmaher listen?

@latimes' Anita Chabria amplifies voices too often silenced. Tika, Helen, Mercy & Prof. Stephanie Richard are calling for truth in media. #SurvivorsDeserveTheMic

🔗 www.latimes.com/california/s...

Flor Molina survived labor trafficking in L.A. Now she’s urging CA to pass AB 381 — a bill to stop state contracts from funding forced labor. “This bill gives me hope,” she says. Let’s demand justice, not complicity. #EndTrafficking #AB381
Read Now: www.sacbee.com/opinion/op-e...

SIGN PETITION NOW!
www.freedomunited.org/advocate/cal...

On to the floor vote! So happy we are out of appropriations in this difficult budget year.

Angela survived labor trafficking after being forced to work 18-hour days to repay a fake debt. AB 1362 helps protect workers from this abuse. Thank you Asm BuffyWicks for supporting it. Freedom and dignity are not negotiable. #AB1362 #EndLaborTrafficking #CAleg

Hear directly from lived-experts on why they support Restorative Justice (RJ) in human trafficking cases, aiming to prevent further harm and address the conditions that lead to exploitation in the first place. Watch and learn how you can support #RestorativeJustice. www.youtube.com/watch?v=pA8f...

“I felt invisible.” Flor Molina survived labor trafficking in LA. Now she’s fighting for AB 381—a bill to stop California from funding forced labor. Our tax dollars have power. Let’s use them to fight trafficking. #AB381 #EndForcedLabor #SurvivorVoices @sacbee.com

On International Workers’ Day, we honor every worker’s right to safety and dignity. After disasters like the LA fires, many face greater risks of unsafe or exploitative conditions in the recovery. If you or someone you know may be experiencing this, help is available. #HumanTrafficking #LAfires

Labor trafficking isn’t a distant issue. Survivors are speaking out, and thanks to the leadership of Assemblymember Catherine Stefani and co-authors Assemblymember Liz Ortega, Assemblymember Christopher Ward , Senators Cortese, Senator Melissa Hurtado, and Senator Aisha Wahab, there’s real hope.

@worksafeoak.bsky.social @ucblaborcenter.bsky.social @uclalabor.bsky.social @chirla-org.bsky.social @nelp.org @splcenter.org @nsn.bsky.social @freedomunitedhq.bsky.social @sophiehayesfnd.bsky.social

#survivor#humantrafficking#survivor-led#livedexperience#livedexperiences

At SJI, expanding access to benefits is one our priorities. Survivors are crime victims with rights, including the right to compensation. Thank you #CalVCB for engaging with us after reviewing our paper and discussing ways to improve access. #CrimeVictimsRights2025 linktr.ee/sunitajainin...

Huge thanks to #AshKalra for championing AB 1362! Stronger rules for labor recruiters are urgently needed to stop trafficking in CA — and your voice is making a difference.