Jocelyn Gomez

The Project

Jocelyn’s (she/her/hers/ella) project will focus on advocating for immigrant survivors of trafficking in the greater San Francisco Bay Area through direct legal representation, community outreach, and coalition building.

California has consistently had the greatest number of human trafficking cases in the nation. Trafficking survivors in California experience systemic vulnerability to extortion and abuse because of their lack of immigration legal status in the US. Although immigration pathways exist to help survivors retain their agency and become empowered to report such abuse, survivors are prevented from seeking this relief because of a lack of access to screening and direct representation.

As a daughter of immigrant farmworkers, an industry that is often rampant with cases of trafficking and abuse towards immigrant workers, Jocelyn is committed to help combat the coercion and abuse targeted at immigrant populations. She is hopeful that this Fellowship will help empower survivors to safely pursue justice and support without the fear of being deported or detained by immigration officials.

Fellowship Plans

During her Fellowship, Jocelyn will provide access to forms of relief that are available to immigrant survivors of trafficking. She will provide trauma-informed legal representation to immigrant survivors throughout the Immigration Institute of the Bay Area’s seven offices, stretching from Redwood City to Petaluma. To increase community awareness and accessibility of her work, Jocelyn will digitize and promote educational resources for both clients and staff in languages such as English, Spanish, and Hindi. Additionally, Jocelyn will work with community partners and government stakeholders to recognize and address the legal needs of the immigrant populations they serve.

Media