Human Trafficking and Immigration: Updates and Trends

This training will attempt to demystify the barriers and clarify misunderstandings surrounding serving foreign-born survivors of human trafficking, specifically around immigration relief options. We will dissect case examples agencies may run into and offer solutions to better equip our leaders to serve their community.

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CLE credit application is pending

Speakers:

Daniela Donoso

Daniela Donoso works as a Staff Attorney with the Family and Immigration Rights Center, helping unaccompanied youth navigate the complex immigration process. Previously, Donoso served as the Program Wide Immigration Attorney at Legal Services of North Florida, LSNF where, in her capacity as the Equal Justice Works Fellow, she designed her fellowship to be a comprehensive immigration advocacy program in North Florida to serve immigrants who are low income and/or crime victims and establish immigration protocols, procedures, and resources for LSNF staff and community partners. Daniela, a past DACA recipient, knows what it is like to have your life shifted by fear and uncertainty because of the broken immigration system. Daniela received her law degree from Florida State University College of Law and became a Florida barred attorney in April of 2021. She received ger bachelor’s degree in international affairs from Florida State University and spent her undergraduate and graduate time working for the Center for the Advancement of Human Rights, gaining mentors and experience in immigration and anti-trafficking advocacy.

Vania Aguilar, M.S. is a program manager at CAHR. She has been working with the Center since 2001, conducing training, and overseeing the Center’s case management and service provision for human trafficking victims and victims of other crimes.

Vania Aguilar

She has developed curriculum for the Florida Department of Education and Florida Department of Children and Families and the Florida Department of Education on human trafficking. She was granted BIA Accreditation in 2013 and is assisting clients with their VAWA, DACA, Adjustment of Status, asylum, SIJS, TPS, U and T visa application submissions.  She has assisted over 500 refugees adjust their status to lawful permanent residence and helps them apply for their citizenship. She has established direct connections with prosecutors, victim advocates and law enforcement officials throughout the state.  She works very closely with them to secure the necessary documentation to apply for immigration relief for clients who are victims of crimes and to apply for any other forms of relief under the Victim’s Compensation Program.

She serves as a co-chair for the Big Bend Coalition Against Human Trafficking Survivor Support Committee.  On behalf of the coalition, she has written op-eds, has participated on radio show interviews to discuss how Florida is affected by human trafficking, conducted presentations and outreach initiatives.  In addition, she serves on the Social Justice Committee of the Survive and Thrive Advocacy Center, a non-profit that assists victims and survivors of human trafficking in the second judicial circuit.

She received a Bachelor’s and a Master’s degree in Multilingual/Multicultural Education from Florida State University. In addition to working for the CAHR, Ms. Aguilar taught for Adult and Community Education (ACE) in Tallahassee from 2005 to 2022 where she taught evening classes to English learners from around the world.   She was the lead teacher for the on-line English classes at ACE.  Currently, she is pursuing a doctorate degree in Instructional Systems and Learning Technology.

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