Co-Written by Outten & Golden LLP Paralegal Toby Rae Irving
The Atlantic published an article in its June 2017 by the late Alex Tizon about a woman named Eudocia Tomas Pulido, known as Lola, who was given to his family by his grandfather as a gift – as a slave. Lola spent 56 years in unpaid servitude within Tizon’s family.
Cases involving human trafficking and unpaid domestic labor are not foreign to Outten & Golden, nor are they as rare as the public reaction to Tizon’s article would suggest.
Though published posthumously, we commend Tizon and the Atlantic for bringing this narrative to light, especially as foreign workers in the United States are at great risk of losing their existing resources, and stand to lose visibility in the workforce and the public sphere.
As a result of the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, There is a T visavailable to victims of human trafficking like Eudocia. As ICE increases its presence and expedites deportations, community education is paramount. People who have been trafficked can be picked up, processed, and deported without due process, especially without knowledge of resources like T visas, designed to protect the most vulnerable workers. for more information, resources, and to support resisters seeking to protect and empower people like Eudocia, see the links below.
• US Citizen and Immigration Services – Immigration Relief for Vulnerable Populations
• Damayan Migrant Workers Association, Inc.
• National Domestic Workers Alliance
