SWLA Abolitionists

06/03/2026

Advocacy is one of our pillars to fight human trafficking. Our director, Rusty, is headed back from DC. He joined 264 advocates, from all over the U.S., to push the Stop CSAM Act. Right now, 1 in 8 children globally have been abused or exploited online. That sucks! Yet, there’s a solution. Like how America forced Big Pharma to put child proof caps on medicine bottles to protect kids & how we forced Big To***co to stop advertising to kids to protect them, we can force Big Tech to do their part. Right now, families can’t even sue tech companies if they take an active part in the exploitation. Big tech has no tool to detect CSAM in streaming. Billion dollar companies CAN & SHOULD do better. In a poll, 99% of American adults polled said Congress should address this. Over 1/2 said Congress should make this a top priority. Brought a Faith leader letter with signatures from 13 SWLA pastors who support this cause. THANK YOU TO THOSE WHO SIGNED IT!!! The letter is still open for signatures. We need your pastor’s name!!! (https://www.ijm.org/stop-csam-letter ) Brought a letter from over 100 organizations, who fight this Hell every single day, that support this bill. In other words, MOST people support this cause. LET’S GET IT DONE!!!

Louisiana, call Senator Cassidy’s office & tell his staff that you want him to cosponsor S1829. Call your U.S. Rep & tell them to cosponsor HR 3921.

Every day this isn’t law, more kids are exploited & that’s simply unacceptable.

Please share!

If you’re from another state, call your two U.S. Senators & ask if they are cosponsoring S1829. If so, thank them. If not, tell them to.

Then call your U.S. Rep & do the same with bill HR 3921.

We will have local meetings with our local legislative offices in August. Feel like changing the world? COME ON!

You have a voice. Use it to protect children & ensure it’s heard!

06/01/2026

Call & leave a voicemail or call tomorrow. Right now, our director is in DC headed to the Capitol with hundreds of people to meet with our legislators on behalf of the STOP CSAM Act.

https://www.ijm.org/stop-csam-calls

Sign up to meet with members of Congress during the 2026 August recess and ask them to prioritize the STOP CSAM Act.

05/30/2026

5 star review from a survivor we helped years ago. This what it’s all about to us. The opinions of survivors are what we care about.

*She used an alias to post the review.

05/29/2026

Just one of the world’s largest anti-trafficking organizations picking up that Louisiana is trying to enslave the houseless. Link in stories. Call your Louisiana Rep & tell them to vote NO on HB 211.

05/29/2026

It’s really bad when one of the largest anti-trafficking organizations out there is running the story.

www.freedomunited.org/news/louisiana-bill-poverty-forced-labor/

Contact your Louisiana House member asap & tell them to vote NO on HB 211.

Louisiana bill does more than criminalize homelessness. It risks turning poverty into a pipeline for coerced labor.

05/27/2026

Here are some signs to look out for. Let’s do our best to help end it.

05/26/2026

In 2010, our founder, Rusty Havens, heard about human trafficking for this first time at a college conference in Atlanta. One of the speakers said that it happens in Atlanta and it most likely happened in the attendees’ cities as well.

This was a kick in the chest. He knew the world has its problems, but he thought the issue of slavery was over. Yet, he just heard that there are more slaves today than at any other point in human history. 50 million.

How could it be happening in SWLA? He hadn’t heard nor seen anything. So he went back home & started looking into it. He soon realized that human trafficking, not only happened in SWLA, but it happened a lot.

He didn’t know what exactly he could do, but he remembered the conference speakers said the crime thrived in the darkness. That’s it! He could talk about it. Scream about it! So he started doing awareness tables at his church & everywhere else he could.

Some friends and he decided to do a 5k fundraiser for an organization they met at the conference. Raise awareness. Raise money. Those were the goals. Months before the 5k, they showed videos about trafficking & the 5k. A lady, through the videos, realized that one of her clients was being trafficked. Rusty & his friends were able to connect her to law enforcement who got the client out. The client was a 20 yr old with a mind of a 5 yr old. She was being sold for drug money by relatives.

That whole situation opened Rusty’s eyes to the need for something here. Not just fundraising. Not just awareness, but to address what awareness found: people who need help.

He created a website with local stats, stories and information.

From there, more incredible people joined in and SWLA Abolitionists (SWLAA) was formed. Members of SWLAA have been fighting human trafficking for over 15 years. We have brought awareness to millions & have helped over 300 survivors.

“We’re astonished at the change Southwest Louisiana has made since SWLAA started, but we won’t stop until all are free.”
- SWLA Abolitionists Founder,
Rusty Havens

05/25/2026

We are excited to have a booth at The Coffee Connection Friday night! We’ll have free information on how you can keep those you love safe. Plus, we’ll be selling our Shine A Light candles to help SWLA survivors of human trafficking. Come see us!