Boat People SOS - News for Human trafficking Program - VETA

U.S. District Judge Sentences Owner of the Daewoosa Samoa Factory

admin — Tue, 28 Jun 2005 14:42:58 +0000

Honolulu, HI - On June 22, U.S. District Judge Susan Oki Mollway sentenced Kil Soo Lee, former owner of the Daewoosa Samoa garment factory, to 40 years in prison and ordered him to pay US $1.8 million in restitution to his victims who sought legitimate work but were forced to become virtual slaves. The maximum possible penalty under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 is 20 years for each count of trafficking.

"This rendering of justice will eventually bring the sad incident to closure," said Dr. Nguyen Dinh Thang of Boat People SOS. The organization provided assistance to Lee's victims since 1999 when the organization first learned of their plight.

Conference On Anti-Trafficking Activism Moblizes College Students

admin — Fri, 16 Apr 2004 14:25:21 +0000

FALLS CHURCH, VA – Boat People SOS, in collaboration Project Hope International and American University’s Immigrant Rights Coalition, will host a one-day conference for college students entitled Slavery in the Modern World: Approaches to Combat Human Trafficking. Highlights from the conference include a keynote address from (keynote speaker, title/credentials) and workshops on (workshop topics).

Senate passed the reauthorization of the TVPA

admin — Wed, 28 Jan 2004 14:17:19 +0000

Washington, DC - Last night, by unanimous vote, the Senate passed the reauthorization of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000. It will now be sent to President Bush for signature. The Act will bring crucial additional protection to more than 20,000 victims of forced labor and prostitution in the United States each year.

Trafficking Reauthorization Bill Passes Considerably In The House

admin — Sat, 08 Nov 2003 14:17:15 +0000

BPSOS Commends Tremendous Efforts of Patton Boggs Law Firm

Washington, DC - The House of Representatives passed the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (H.R. 2620) 422 to 1 on Thursday. The bill was authored by Rep. Chris Smith who also authored the Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000.

BPSOS recognizes the generous and knowledgeable support of the law firm of Patton Boggs, deemed among the lobbying industry's "Big 4." With their extensive legislative expertise and Hill experience with immigration issues, Lead Attorney Stephanie Peters and Associate Attorney Joshua Greene wholly complemented the practical capacity of BPSOS' Victims of Exploitation and Trafficking Assistance (VETA) program staff.

Congressman Nick Lampson Sparks Hope In The Plight Of Amerasians

admin — Tue, 16 Sep 2003 14:00:12 +0000

Town Hall Meeting Addressed Hardships of a Lost Generation

HOUSTON, TX – Congressman Nick Lampson and the Mayor of Port Arthur, Oscar Ortiz listened as staff members of BPSOS and about 100 Amerasians presented the issues regarding the citizenship of Amerasians. After opening statements by the Congressman and briefings by staff from BPSOS Headquarters and the Houston Branch office, members of the Amerasian community engaged in an emotional dialogue with Rep. Lampson and Mayor Ortiz.

The two hour event took place on Sunday, September 14 at the Ramada Inn of Port Arthur. The meeting was one of the first of its kind since the late 80s to discuss the citizenship of children born to American servicemen in Vietnam during the war. The Amerasian population in the Greater Houston area is second only to that of Orange County, CA. Of those, over half have relocated to the Beaumont-Port Arthur area because of the opportunities in the fishing industry.

BPSOS Hosts Town Hall Meeting With Congressman Nick Lampson

admin — Mon, 08 Sep 2003 13:52:08 +0000

Local Community Members to Discuss Issues of Amerasian Rights, Human Trafficking

HOUSTON, TX - Boat People SOS-Houston will host a town hall meeting for local Vietnamese community members to voice their growing concerns to Congressman Nick Lampson. Issues to be discussed include the citizenship of Amerasians, the prevalence of human trafficking, and other local matters pertaining to the Beaumont and Port Arthur communities. The intended purpose of the meeting is to draw Congressman Lampson's attention to these key issues, which in turn will result in the necessary policy changes.