TRI-STATE COALITION AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING

TRI-STATE COALITION AGAINST HUMAN TRAFFICKING. In January 2022 a local coalition and a UNIVERSITY OF DUBUQUE faculty members were recognized for their efforts to stop human trafficking. Governor Kim Reynolds recognized a total of five with Outstanding Anti-Trafficking Service Awards as part of Slavery and Human Trafficking Prevention Month.

The Tri-State Coalition Against Human Trafficking was founded in 2014 by five area congregations of women religious: [[SISTERS OF CHARITY OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (BVM), SISTERS OF THE THIRD ORDER OF ST. FRANCIS OF THE HOLY FAMILY (OSF), SISTERS OF THE PRESENTATION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY (PBVM), Sinsinawa Dominican Sisters and SISTERS OF MERCY. Members did not have to be sisters of a religious order. The organization educated local residents about human trafficking.

Kim Hilby, a University of Dubuque assistant professor of sociology, taught a class each semester on human trafficking which was considered important for students going to such fields of work as nursing, social work, and law enforcement. (1)

In its first decade in operation, the coalition led efforts in educating the public about human trafficking and awareness locally by conducting training sessions with groups including motel and hotel staff, church groups, library staff, bus drivers, civic groups and school staff. The coalition also sponsored a bus wrap and billboards, tabled several local events and stays involved with national human trafficking groups. Legislatively, the group was instrumental in the passage of the 2020 Iowa law stipulating lodging providers that host public employees or publicly-funded events must train staff on human trafficking signs. Other types of trafficking included immigrants being forced to work without adequate pay due to threats of deportation. During National Human Trafficking Prevention Month in 2025, the coalition hosted a free showing of "Maya," a film showing how traffickers exploit young people through social media. (2)

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Source:

1. Reese, Kayli, "Group, UD Professor Honored for Anti-Trafficking Efforts," Telegraph Herald, January 15, 2022, p. 2A

2. Bond, Maia, "Local Anti-Human Tracking Group Marks More than a Decade of Work," Telegraph Herald, January 16, 2025, p. 2A