About the Break the Chain Campaign

See also: Mission Statement, Guiding Principles, Goals and Objectives, and Affiliated Organizations

History

In September 1997, Institute for Policy Studies fellows Sarah Anderson and Martha Honey organized the first public forum ever to expose the problems faced by domestic workers living in the greater Washington, D.C. area. The forum was an outcome of a six-month investigation conducted by Honey who wrote a cover story for Washington’s City Paper detailing cases of abuse dating back to the mid-1970s. At this first forum, it became apparent that a loose network of churches, social service agencies, lawyers, safe houses, and “good samaritans” – a modern-day underground railroad of sorts – was attempting to aid abused and enslaved maids, nannies and housekeepers. The forum prompted the idea of building a coalition of women’s rights, labor, religious, human rights, and other advocates dedicated to fight for stronger protections for these vulnerable workers and the Campaign for Migrant Domestic Workers Rights was formed.

During its formative years, over 25 DC-based organizations forged together to create a network to change public policy and strengthen the safety net available to G-5 visa holders (who work for officials with international agencies), A-3 visa holders (who work for diplomats) and B-1 visa holders (who work for foreign nationals and American citizens with permanent residency abroad). Law firms, women’s groups, workers rights, human rights, and community-based organizations each provided different faucets of assistance to enslaved and/or exploited worker while also strategically engaging in advocacy and policy reform. In particular, the Campaign began dialogue with international institutions, such as the World Bank and IMF, on their internal policies due to the large number of reported abuse cases inflicted by employees of these institutions. In 2000, it became clear that full-time coordination was needed and staff was hired.

With the addition of staff, the Campaign began provided more centralized case management of the legal and social provisions needed by abused and enslaved domestic workers in the Washington, DC area. By building working relationships with over 80 local organizations, the Campaign has been able to serve over 150 clients and has coordinated public education events, media coverage, legal and training workshops, strategy meetings, and research on domestic workers. A roster of pro bono lawyers provide legal advice and research for the Campaign, while others handle individual civil and criminal cases involving domestic worker abuse, exploitation, slavery or trafficking. Campaign member organizations has steadily increased and now includes diverse representation from women’s groups, religious organizations, law firms, labor unions, and immigrant rights agencies. Due to its expertise on human trafficking and worker exploitation, the Campaign has been called upon by governmental policymakers from the Departments of Justice, Labor, and State; the FBI; and a White House inter-agency task force on trafficking. The Campaign has also been one of the founding members of Freedom Network (USA), a nationwide rapid-response coalition that works to ensure that every enslaved and trafficked person in the U.S. is able to enforce their legal and human rights and have access to linguistically appropriate, culturally sensitive, victim-centered social, health and legal services.

In 2003, the Campaign for Migrant Domestic Workers Rights changed its name to Break The Chain Campaign to capture its expanding mandate which includes trafficked and enslaved persons in all labor industries and the sex industry. Due to the overwhelming need for direct services and advocacy, the Campaign will continue to strive to serve its constituency within a 150 miles radius of Washington, DC.

Today, the Campaign fills a unique need: no other organization in the D.C. area specializes in handling abuses of live-in domestic workers who come to the U.S. legally on these three special visa programs or other trafficked and enslaved workers. Most other social service centers are geared solely towards either undocumented workers or domestic workers hired in the U.S. rather than those brought in from abroad. The organization is also unique in that, unlike many social service and faith-based agencies, it does not cater to a particular nationality, religious affiliation, or geographical region and it takes cases from throughout the greater Washington area and, at times, assists in cases nationally.

Break The Chain Campaign is dedicated to the empowerment and protection of enslaved and exploited migrant workers in the United States through direct service, research, advocacy, and public awareness campaigns. The direct service work gives the Campaign practical experience, case data, and statistics which, in turn, informs the Campaign’s advocacy work. The Campaign’s approach is holistic, combining direct service, outreach, organizing, media work, training, and technical assistance with ongoing negotiations with the US government, embassies and international institutions on policy reform.