@OURrescue CEO and founder @TimBallard is a Trump advisor who supports anti- immigration and building a border wall while branding himself as a modern day Harriet Tubman #OperationUndergroundRailroad #riseup

Tim Ballard and Operation Underground Railroad also broadcast raids with little to no regard for victims’ safety or privacy.

Operation Underground Railroad training encourages citizens to identify trafficking victims based on how they act and their appearance. “Warning signs” include unkempt hair, tattoos, depression and anxiety.

Generalizations like these can make it more likely for disabled, mentally ill and homeless folks to be targeted by law enforcement under the assumption they are being trafficked, rather than receiving healthcare or social services.

Additionally, OUR’s “raid and rescue” tactics often do not differentiate between trafficking victims and consenting sex workers. Moreover, sometimes those “rescued” in a raid are assaulted by police and OUR members.

OUR videos suggest trafficking victims are held in locked buildings with barbed wire and security cameras. This perpetuates a misconception. Most trafficking survivors are not physically held against their will because their trafficker has emotional control over them.

Here are some great organizations to support instead of @OURrescue:
@swopbehindbars
@ButterflyCSW
@UrbanJustice
@hrw

For more references and more information on @OURrescue including their financials (large sums going to salaries and travel expenses instead of helping trafficking survivors): https://docs.google.com/document/d/1SgP04lNdNMiyuWc91-3q7jPj63cb2gFJmS3zqmFM6Qk/edit?usp=sharing