Humanity United welcomes U.S. Department of Justice official as new director of the Alliance to End Slavery & Trafficking (ATEST)

Deputy Assistant Attorney General Julie Fernandes to lead anti-trafficking alliance

Julie Fernandes, former Deputy Assistant Attorney General for the Civil Rights Division at the U.S. Department of Justice, joined the Alliance to End Slavery & Trafficking (ATEST) as its new Director on Sept. 15. Comprised of 12 leading U.S. human rights organizations working to end modern-day slavery here and around the world, ATEST is a project of Humanity United, an international human rights foundation.

“Julie has a distinguished career in the government and the nonprofit sectors, working with human rights groups like ATEST to effectively advance their policy objectives,” said David Abramowitz, Humanity United’s Vice President of Policy & Government Relations. “She comes to us at a crucial moment, and we are so grateful to have her onboard as ATEST works to renew the Trafficking Victims Protection Act and expand the alliance’s activities.”

Fernandes’ work as a Senior Policy Analyst and Senior Counsel with the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights included advocating for reauthorization of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, developing policy campaigns, and engaging extensively in the conference’s many outreach activities. She also served in the Clinton Administration as Special Assistant to the President for domestic policy. “The work to end human trafficking, forced labor, and modern-day slavery both in the United States and around the world is the critical human rights struggle of our time,” Fernandes said. “I am excited to join the dynamic team at Humanity United, and to work with the ATEST partners, to build on the coalition’s successes and achieve even more significant progress.”