Human Trafficking Research Lab @Millikin

July 30 is World Day Against Trafficking in Persons. It is a day proclaimed in 2013 by the United Nations General Assembly in resolution A/RES/68/192. The day aims to “raise awareness of the situation of victims of human trafficking and for the promotion and protection of their rights.” We usually post something on the HTRL blog today about our work in recognition of this day but this year with all of the discussions on human traffickers in the media and budget cuts to the trafficking work around the world I have felt nothing but dread and apprehension about the future of the movement. The United States has been the leader in the anti-trafficking movement and has made counter trafficking a policy priority since the bi-partisan adoption of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) in 2000, devoting resources and chronicling progress and setbacks around the world through the Trafficking in Persons Report. As I wrote about in a previous article the TVPA built the foundation for traffi...

I was asked to present my research project "Identifying Potential Human Trafficking Recruitment during Humanitarian Disasters and Russia’s War in Ukraine" with colleagues from Worcester Polytechnic Institute while I am here in Regensburg as a Visiting Fellow at the The Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies (IOS). The event was sponsored by the Leibniz Science Campus Regensburg, Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies (IOS), Regensburg, University of Regensburg, “Denkraum Ukraine” / “Think Space Ukraine” funded by the DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) with funds from the Federal Foreign Office (AA). We only had a week to put the event together but I had a great turnout and discussion on our research project. I explored some preliminary findings from our dataset on online recruitment technologies during the first 1.5 years of the war consisting of: 482,000 collected and cleaned online posts from Telegram channels Interview data from Uk...

I found out a few weeks ago that the Illinois State Police (ISP) Division of Criminal Investigation Trafficking Enforcement Bureau was moving to Decatur. This is great news for our city because it means the main labor trafficking organization in the Illinois the Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services has an office is located in Decatur, the state's only research entity focused on human trafficking is here (the Human Trafficking Research Lab), and and now the main policing entity will also be based in Decatur. ISP also recently announced that a multiagency task force is being formed to combat human trafficking in Central Illinois and will base its operations in Decatur. The Illinois Trafficking Enforcement Group, will be led by the Illinois State Police and include the Decatur Police Department and the McLean County Sheriff's Office as partnering organizations. This group was approved by the The Decatur City Council sand you can read more about it in this story from t...

Starting my month long visiting fellow residency at IOS at the Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies/Leibniz-Institut für Ost- und Südosteuropaforschung (IOS) in Regensburg Germany. I will be working on our NSF funded research project on human trafficking recruitment in Ukraine during Russia's war. The Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies (IOS) is one of the largest and most traditional non-university research institutions of its kind in Germany—it dates back to 1930. I am looking forward to lots of data analysis, networking, and having the opportunity to use the amazing library here. I found out they only choose 15 fellows a year so it is an honor to be here and the first time I have ever lived in the western part of Europe. 

I attended my first RUTA Association for Central, South-Eastern, and Eastern European, Baltic, Caucasus, Central and Northern Asia Studies in Global Conversation conference in Uzhhorod, Ukraine. It was a wonderful conference focusing on anti-imperialism and the influence of colonialism around the world. I heard speakers from Syria, Palestine, Chechnya, Africa and it was amazing to meet them all in Ukraine and show solidarity with Ukrainians as they continue their battle with Russian imperialism. I presented on the panel "Visions for anti-trafficking, empowering and healing" with other Ukrainian scholars. Here is a picture one of the organizers took of me presenting in the archeology museum of  Uzhhorod National University. I also loved the inclusion of different art mediums at the RUTA Conference. Everyday during lunch they hosted "The Tent of Resilience: A Participatory Art Intervention" immersive installation. I had a wonderful motanka workshop with a master from ...

Summer is usually a slower time at Millikin, when most students and faculty are off campus. A spot opened up on the WSOY Radio with Byers and Co and since Maggie was going to be in town for basketball camps we went and talked about our work on the Joint Human Trafficking Working Group. The main goal of the group was to facilitate legislation to improve and coordinate a response and as a result the Illinois Statewide Trauma-Informed Response to Human Trafficking Act was passed by both the Illinois Senate and House in May and is awaiting Governor Pritzker's signature. As a scholar of human trafficking policy it was interesting to be in the inner circle formulating policy and trying to improve services for victims and survivors. Here is a link to the interview if you would like to listen .  

The Human Trafficking Research Lab at Millikin invited to be a member of the Human Trafficking Working Group sponsored by the Illinois Human Services Department in 2024. This group was tasked with working on legislation SB2323 Illinois Statewide Trauma-Informed Response to Human Trafficking Act. We lobbied and filled out witness slips for the house and senate bills and the Governor will sign this bill into law in summer 2025. We were proud to serve on the statewide working group that wrote this legislation and our research is featured in this WAND News story ! Great news for survivors seeking justice in Illinois!

Continuing my work within the Human Trafficking Research Lab has deepened my understanding of the issue and helped me recognize the essential skills and empathy required for this kind of work. Before joining the lab, I had a limited view of what human trafficking really entailed. Through hands-on research and survivor narratives, I’ve come to understand both the complexity of the crime and the shortcomings in how our legal system identifies and addresses it. Human trafficking might seem easy to define as it typically falls under one or more of three main elements: force, fraud, or coercion but simply knowing a crime occurred and actually proving a crime occurred are two different things. Through the stories shared by survivors and the patterns I studied within the lab, I've learned instances which involved human trafficking. The justice system has often struggled to name and prosecute trafficking for what it is. As a result traffickers are usually charged with a lesser offense that...

As I finish my Criminal Justice practicum in the Human Trafficking Research Lab, I have come to realize that human trafficking labs have a big impact on crime research and development. I realized from analyzing in Champaign County the data is that it can be complicated to identify possible trafficking cases however there where cases from 2017 of different forms of exploitation and solicitation. I also had to make possible conclusions of certain cases of possible trafficking, where these cases had a child unlawfully restrained and sexual abuse in these cases. This demonstrated that children are possible being restrained for exploitation which could be considered human trafficking. I am thankful for the opportunity to do research in the lab this semester. Devin Top

This semester in the Human Trafficking Research Lab has been busy. Earlier in the year, I attended a panel discussion on human trafficking and how police tackle the challenges and developments that they come across. I was representing the lab and informing people about the work that we do at Millikin. There were several police officers present as well as FBI agents who answered questions from Dr. Dean and students who came to watch. They talked about the implications of the new policies put into place by the Trump administration, and spoke on their experiences with fighting human trafficking.  Throughout the semester, we met in the human trafficking lab to discuss our work that we have done with data collection. We also learned from Dr. Dean about students who came before us, and the work that they did with the lab. The meetings were productive, and they taught me more about who supports the work we do. We met once every two weeks, and the meetings were small in size so that we cou...

I was at Cambridge University for the Conference on Baltic Studies in Europe las week and was able to visit a the Fitzwilliam Museum and their special exhibit Rise Up: Resistance, Revolution, and Abolition. The exhibit was really well done and I learned about slavery from the context of the United Kingdom especially in their colonies in the Caribbean and Africa. I also learned about abolitionist Olaudah Equiano who seemed similar to Fedrick Douglas from the American context as a formally enslaved person who write and spoke about their experiences. The exhibit also talked about the museum's connections to slavery which I felt was very appropriate in coming to terms with their colonial past.  I plan to use some of what I learned in my fall Human Trafficking class and am thankful for the opportunity to learn new things about the international abolition movement.

This semester I have been completing my criminal justice practicum at the Human Trafficking Research Lab examining cases from Champaign county in 2018 and 2017 in the court case database Clericus Magnus and in the local media. During my research I have found several cases of grooming which can meet the definition of human trafficking. In 2018 there was a case of a man convicted of both sexual offenses and grooming which means that alleged trafficker was attempting to persuade someone to do things against their will. Groomers commonly use social media and technology. Another case from 2018 that I located I found that the perpetrator was found guilty of soliciting a sexual act, as well as harassment through electronic communication and disorderly conduct. These actions can be classified as grooming and even stalking and have elements of human trafficking but were not charged as trafficking. In this research it is clear that parents need to monitor their children's online activities a...

Dr. Dean, Akeila, and I attended the Liberator Awards in Columbus, Ohio the last weekend in March. The Lab was a finalist in the student organization category. At the ceremony, we were seated next to two survivors and a woman who ran the resource housing for survivors for the HerSong organization. The survivors were very enthusiastic to share some of their stories with us. Currently, they are both pursuing degrees in social work. We asked about their opinion of criminalization of sex work. They both agreed that their arrests and time spent in jail and prison was the leading factor in getting them away from their traffickers. Additionally, there is a program specifically in Ohio that serves in rehabilitation and services for individuals with substance abuse disorder and may be facing trafficking. More information on the program can be found here .  Maggie Schrage

Our new Human Trafficking Research Lab Impact Report for 2025 is here! We updated a lot of the information with over 55,000 visits to our blog (as of today), lots of trainings with local community members, and more money raised to support my students' salaries. We added a section on our research awards and then updated findings from our current research projects. I always enjoy compiling these numbers and updates because it shows just how much we do every year and with small incremental changes it is often difficult to see all of our accomplishments. Thanks to everyone for their support of the HTRL over the years, we couldn't do it without you!  

Human Trafficking Search Aligned with Freedom United picked up my article " USAID Cuts Detrimental to Combatting Human Trafficking Around the World " originally published on SlaveFree Today the blog for the Journal of Modern Slavery. I was able to get permission to repost it on the Human Trafficking Search and I am thankful that more people will read about the impact of these cuts to programs sponsored by USAID, programs which have contributed to and shaped my research in Ukraine immensely. I wrote this article based on my personal experience working with and seeing the effects of these counter trafficking programs in source countries for human trafficking. 

At the Liberator Awards I was able to learn about different products made by survivors of human trafficking, domestic violence, and sexual assault. Since we were Liberator finalists we got a VIP goodie bag with lots of different products and a few of those products were made by survivors. The soap pictured above was made by survivors in Columbus. We also spoke with a few survivors that worked at Freedom a la Cart a local cafe and catering company that hired trafficking survivors. The website says the company "aims to empower survivors of sex trafficking and exploitation to build lives of freedom and self-sufficiency." It is difficult for many survivors to get a job after they leave exploitation so this company breaks down "employment barriers is vital for creating a pathway to freedom." We only had one day in Columbus but when I am in the area again I will definitely grad a coffee and lunch at their cafe with an amazing mural of freedom outside. They are located on ...

My students and I drove over to Columbus, Ohio to attend the Liberator Awards sponsored by the SOAP Project. We enjoyed getting dressed up and it was such an honor to be a Liberator Finalist for Student Group of the year! We got to meet many survivors and social service providers combatting human trafficking and it was an inspirational and educational night. We are able to hear from and meet people from around the United States working on human trafficking.  Two of the people at our table worked at the Tim Tebow Foundation. They worked in a Her Song Safehouse in Columbus and it was very interesting to talk to them about their work and the foundation. The foundation supports eight safe houses in four cities in Tennessee, Florida, and Ohio. The safe houses provide "long-term residential care and trauma-informed programming to help survivors heal and become self-sufficient. While Her Song helps survivors coming out of trafficking situations with immediate physical needs like a home,...

The first article from our NSF funded study (National Science Foundation D-ISN/RAPID #2330311: Data Collection for Human Trafficking Recruitment and Responses in Forced Migration, Operations Engineering grant) was just published! Monday was publication day for my article " Safety is an Illusion: Conducting Feminist Research in War Zones " in Demokratizatsiya: The Journal of Post-Soviet Democratization. After going to Ukraine to conduct interviews on human trafficking recruitment during the war I often contemplated the ethics of conducting interviews with people during air raid sirens and bombings. I found little published before I went to prepare me for the realities of conducting research in war so I wanted to offer my advice to other scholars. I originally thought I would just write a blog post but then I remembered that more journals today are offering more diverse publication options with short perspectives pieces so I decided to pitch that to a few journals and thankfull...

Yesterday I presented along with my former student Diana who currently works at Growing Strong Sexual Assault Center on the "Intersection of Human Trafficking and Healthcare: Opportunities for Identification and Disruption" to Carle Health SANE Seminar 2025. This healthcare system has clinics around Central Illinois and we presented at the Sexual Assault Multidisciplinary Response Conference "Intervention within Special Populations." The training taught attendees about human trafficking in Central Illinois, how to recognize it in healthcare settings, and reporting/responding strategies. We discussed both sex and labor trafficking and provide warning signs for healthcare workers on human trafficking especially in emergency room settings. We provided resources for the disruption of trafficking supply chains and information and strategies for including human trafficking in different healthcare department trainings and protocol development for hospitals. We were also ab...

I have been on a Joint Human Trafficking Working Group drafting legislation on human trafficking in the state of Illinois since last summer. It has been interesting to work with local policymakers and government officials and see behind the curtain on how policies get made and add my input and thoughts to the legislation. The bill has found a sponsor and was submitted to the Illinois General Assembly as Senate bill number 2323 Illinois Statewide Trauma Informed Response to Human Trafficking Act. We had a planning meeting with stakeholders and learned how to submit witness slips and advocate for the bill with our local representatives. We also got a one-pager for our meetings with these representatives. It's pretty cool to see a piece of legislation I worked on make it to the legislature. Now the actual work of meeting with my Reps begins! Here is the legislation if you want to read over the draft bill.

I was really upset about USAID proposed to Ukraine and counter trafficking programs around the world. Even though I am swamped trying to finish my second book I took some time to write up an article on this cuts and the effect that they will have on combatting human trafficking during Russia's war on Ukraine. SlaveFree Today agreed to publish the article and you can read it here on their blog " USAID Proposed Cuts Detrimental to Combatting Human Trafficking Around the World ." I am thankful for the opportunity to raise awareness to these cuts and publish my thoughts based on my personal experience working with and seeing the effects of these programs in many sources countries for trafficking. 

Being on the radio and then immediately on the news was an interesting experience, one that pushed me out of my comfort zone. Public speaking has never been my favorite thing, so knowing that my words were being broadcasted in real-time on the radio to being pre-recorded for a televised news channel formed an intense layer of pressure over. On the one hand I did not have to see the audience, which tremendously helped ease my nerves. The experience pushed me outside my comfort zone and allowed me to engage in something bigger than myself. Despite my anxiety of public speaking, I felt grateful for the opportunity to be a voice with a message heard by hundreds. It’s one of those experiences that reminds me why I’m passionate about the work I do because even if public speaking isn’t my strongest suit, the message and the impact are what really matter.  You can watch the interview on WAND  here . Akeila McNeal

We recently found out that the Human Trafficking Research Lab at Millikin was nominated for a 2025 Liberator Award by the SOAP (Save Our Adolescents from Prostitution) Project in the student organization category.  The Liberator Awards were created by The SOAP Project to unite people from around the country who are working to combat human trafficking. The SOAP Project is an anti-trafficking non-profit organization whose mission is to end human trafficking by mobilizing communities, providing prevention, education, and advocacy, and facilitating restorative experiences for survivors. The award was named after William Lloyd Garrison, a prominent American abolitionist and editor of the first abolitionist newspaper, The Liberator.  The Human Trafficking Research Lab is deeply honored to be nominated for the Liberator Award in 2025. This award highlights and acknowledges leading abolitionists across the United States, and the student research assistants in the HTRL and I are proud ...

The student newspaper at Millikin The Decaturian came to cover our panel discussion this year and wrote an article entitled  "Human Trafficking Discussion Provides Crucial Insight From Law Enforcement Perspective." We are thankful that they came to the event and provided such an in-depth article on the panel discussion. You can read the article here .

Thanks to everyone who came out to our Policing Human Trafficking: Developments and Challenges panel discussion! We co-sponsored the event with the Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services Office in Decatur. We had a great mix of community members, faculty, and students and a very interesting discussion. I learned a lot about different victim centered approaches to policing and they even discussed the reasons for adjudicating lower offenses on the lower level which aligns with our current research project.  One of my favorite things about hosting this event every year during Human Trafficking Prevention Month is getting to see all the colleagues in the anti-trafficking movement and also many former students who worked in the Human Trafficking Research Lab (and then making them pose for a photo with me). One of my research assistants was also interviewed on WAND about the panel discussion and you can access the interview here .

I was on Byers and Co this morning with another research assistant who is working in the Human Trafficking Research Lab. We talked about our research and the panel discussion tonight Policing Human Trafficking: Developments and Challenges as part of Human Trafficking Prevention Month! Here is the interview

On January 28th, Dr. Dean and I met with WAND News in the morning for a short interview for their evening news. I was asked about how I got into the field of human trafficking research, what I have contributed to the lab, and what I want going forward. The interviewers used a quote of mine concerning why research and creating conversation around trafficking is important even when having the conversation is hard. The interview itself was a great experience and granted the lab more exposure to the surrounding community of Central Illinois. Here is the interview if you want to watch it! Maggie Schrage

As a political science major with a minor in criminal justice, my academic path has provided me with a unique lens to view the world, especially the issues within our society. Throughout my analyzation of court cases for possible indication of human trafficking within Vermilion County, Illinois. It provided a very eye-opening experience on how difficult it is to identify and combat such potential human trafficking cases. When I first began diving into court cases, my goal was clear: to analyze court cases for potential cases where human trafficking might have occurred. I had to examine each case with additional research and determine if there is or is not the possibility of human trafficking. As I analyzed hundreds of court cases I realized human trafficking hides in plain sight, which makes it very difficult to recognize at times, as they are camouflaged with the charges of prostitution, solicitation, sexual assault, child pornography, domestic violence, and many other criminal charge...

The Human Trafficking Research Lab braved the freezing temps and attended the Decatur City Council meeting. My research assistant Maggie Schrage read a proclamation for Human Trafficking Prevention Month to the city council and had it signed by the mayor of Decatur! Maggie's thoughts on reading the proclamation: On January 21st, I had the opportunity to read a proclamation about January being Human Trafficking Awareness at the Decatur City Council meeting. It was an impactful experience to get to share our concern about human trafficking with the community and to see the city council and mayor’s devotion to the topic as well. It was my first interaction with local government officials, and I am happy that my first meeting with them was to represent the lab. Maggie Schrage

Everything is coming together for our eighth annual panel discussion for Human Trafficking Prevention Month titled “Policing Human Trafficking: Development and Challenges.” The panel will be on Wednesday, January 29, 2025, at 6:00 p.m. in Ballroom A/B of the University Commons at Millikin University and will round out events held around the United States for Human Trafficking Prevention Month 2025. This panel discussion will feature law enforcement entities on the federal and state levels from around Central Illinois and will discuss the challenges and opportunities law enforcement faces in policing sex and labor trafficking and the implications of this policing on survivors and victims in our region. Panel members will include:  • Eric V. Bowers, Resident Agent in Charge, Homeland Security Investigations • Christopher JS Johnson, Special Agent in Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation • Lt. Brandon Grzechowiak, Division of Criminal Investigation–Investigative Support Command, Tra...

At the Millikin Human Trafficking Research Lab we wear blue a lot because we are the Big Blue but today we are wearing blue to participate in #WearBlueDay and raise awareness to human trafficking in our community for National Human Trafficking Awareness Day!