When Life Span joined Freedom Network USA (“FNUSA”) v. Trump et. al , we did so understanding the full weight of responsibility for how this case affects the organizations working alongside us, and most importantly, the trafficking survivors who depend on our services.  Represented by Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law and Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights, Life Span and our fellow anti-trafficking organizations secured a stay against the Department of Justice, temporarily blocking the enforcement of new grant conditions targeting diversity, equity, and inclusion and protecting in federal funding for anti-trafficking services. This decision helps ensure that anti-trafficking organizations can continue providing essential services without compromising trauma-informed collaboration. 

“Life Span is thrilled that survivors can access vital services as intended under the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) following the grant of the stay to both the services and housing NOFO” shared Amy Fox, our executive director. For decades, Life Span has worked alongside community partners to identify, support, and empower survivors. Those partnerships are essential to reaching individuals who may otherwise remain disconnected from help.  

“Service collaboration and diversity are essential for identifying human trafficking survivors, as exploitation frequently happens in isolation or within hidden, marginalized communities. Life Span’s ability to create effective partnerships without compromising the safety and dignity of survivors relies on collaboration without arbitrary and harmful restrictions.” explained Fox. “Our survivor-focused, comprehensive, barrier-free partnerships are inextricably linked to our mission of applying a human rights framework to trafficking. This framework cannot be upheld under restrictive anti-DEI funding conditions. Operating with a human rights focus ensures that survivors are treated with equity and respect while navigating systems, which would be fundamentally undermined by policies that restrict diversity and inclusion efforts.” 

The stay pauses the DOJ’s Office of Victims of Crime from requiring organizations to certify that they do not operate DEI programs to receive funding authorized under the TVPA. The court also struck down new grant conditions that would have required organizations applying for grants through the Services for Victims of Human Trafficking program and the Housing Assistance for Victims of Trafficking program to agree to cooperate with immigration enforcement.  

This decision helps ensure that survivors can continue to access the services they need and allows organizations like Life Span to remain focused on what matters most: serving the most vulnerable and building community through collaboration.