Lauren Barter

The Project

This Fellowship provided legal resources to the underrepresented, vulnerable migrant farmworker population in Southern Migrant Legal Services’ six-state service area (Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana). Lauren supported workers when they decided to speak out against their employers and were perhaps most vulnerable, and helped to deter employers from such abuses. 

This project assisted migrant farmworkers who are victims of labor trafficking in obtaining T visas and in seeking damages from their former employers and/or traffickers via litigation, using the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and breach of contract claims, among others. 

Lauren has worked with immigrant victims of crime in prior employment positions. She speaks Spanish, which is helpful in work with migrant farmworkers, where the majority of clients are Spanish speakers, so it facilitates communication and services. She was also suited for the position because of her patience and empathy for her clients during an incredibly challenging, uncertain, and often terrifying time.