February 16, 2026 • 12 mins
We spoke with Executive Director, Nadine Thomas, about how The Underground New England supports survivors of human trafficking and is working to eradicate human trafficking.
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Good morning, Thank you for listening to Community Access. I'm
Alison de Murz. My guest this morning is Nadine Thomas.
She is executive director of the Underground New England.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Good morning, Good morning Alison. You for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Oh it's my pleasure. I'm so happy you're here. This
is a topic that is near and dear to my
heart for a very long time before it was ever
really made public. I knew about this thirty years ago.
I was in Misconnecticut at the time, and I chose
it as my platform. So that's how far back this
goes with me. So for those who don't know about
the Underground New England, what is it?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Thanks for asking. The Underground New England and small organization
that works with adult survivors of human trafficking. So we
started in twenty twelve as an organization that just spread
awareness across the state of Connecticut about human trafficking, and
about three years ago, after repeated questions and approaches and
(00:59):
requests from survivors of human tracking, we've started offering basic
levels of services to survivors of human trafting. And then
in twenty twenty four we've really developed that program into
something more comprehensive where we walk alongside adult survivors from
the point of editing trafficking until they're independent and making
(01:23):
positive decisions, until they have a job, they live in
their own apartment, and just basically healed on the right
path to their complete healing.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Yes, and for those who don't know about human trafficking,
what is human.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Trafficking, we'd like to start with what human trafficking is not.
It is not taking someone and taking them across borders,
across state boarders or international borders. That's smuggling. It is
not someone who is involved in commercial sects that could
be exploitation or just survival sex. Human trafficking the legal
(01:59):
debt nation. Human tracking it involves recruiting, harboring, transporting, or
providing a person by use of force, fraud, or coercion.
And those are the three words that must be a
part of what defines human tracking. Force fraud, a coersion
and use this either force forrad a coersion to compel
(02:20):
that person into performing the forced labor or a commercial
sex act. And where there's an exchange of something of value.
Something of value is not necessarily money, it's not necessarily cash.
It could be rent, It could be a service, it
could be a ride, a sexy drive, or it could
be drugs. It could be just about anything that is
(02:42):
of value.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
So, for one example, let's say it could be a
young girl that goes to the mall and this guy says, hey,
and I'm not giving ideas here to the listeners. These
are things that go on and he says, hey, you
know I like you, and let's get together whatever, and
they do drugs. The next thing you know, she's addicted
to drugs and he's like, well, if you give me
(03:04):
sex or if you have sex with others, I'll give
you money, and then you can get more drugs. And
then she spirals downward and then it's while she needs food, Well,
I'll only give you food if you give sex to
these people. Well, I can't eat the food without a spoon.
I mean, they will go to any length they possibly
can to groom these poor people and to get them
(03:26):
into human trafficking.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Absolutely. I mean traffickers will use physical abuse, threats, sexual
abuse intermigation. Absolutely, and I'm glad you you'll use that example.
Inducing or exploiting substance abuse. Those are absolutely ways that
a trafficker will do his work if I call it that.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
So how prevalent is human trafficking in the state of Connecticut.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
That's usually a tough question, Alison, because I could tell
you what the human trafficing hotlights SUGI success. Then six
cases were identified in Connecticut in twenty twenty four, and
from that there were one hundred and seventy an average
of one hundred and seventy victims. But we work the underground.
New England works with thirty adult survivors and to the
(04:14):
best of our knowledge, none of them has ever contacted
the human drafting outline, So it is much more prevalent
than the statistics they or that we think. But I'll
tell you this that often all the clients we have
worked with, or the survivors we've worked with over the years,
we have identified every city in every town in Connecticut
where someone was either traffic sooth or traffic proms. So
(04:38):
it is more widespread than we think, and it's closer
to home than we like to believe.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Would you like to share a story about a survivor
who's come through the program, of course, out mentioning names
and how they're doing.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Now, Wow, Aculdtill is so many stories, Alison because maybe
I should just give given an idea of what our
program looks like. We we have a tool to one
mentoring model, so one mentor with a lived experience and
one mentor who is trauma informed. These two mentors walk
alongside each survivor along the four phases of care programs.
(05:13):
These mentors connect individuals with resources for a holistic empowerment physically, spiritual, emotions,
and mentally medically. So case management is a huge part
of our work, whereby survivors are gently directed towards these
services and guided and coached as to how to access
these services. And in that process they are being taught
(05:35):
to take control of their own lives and to make
positive decisions. I could tell you about one person who
came to our program, and this is probably the case
of most of them. We have individuals who've come through
a program who were living in their car just trying
to escape that trafficker, who was of course homeless because
(05:57):
she's living in their car, did not have a job,
just did not know what to do, did not have
a skill because she was being trafficked since she was
two years old, and when she found that she was
an adult, over thirty years of a cycle of trafficking,
started with family, continued with several boyfriends, and within six
(06:20):
months of thankering our program, she was receiving trauma informed
medical care. She was working with a therapist, she was
making and not only making, but meeting smart goals. She
was actively looking for her own apartment, and within a
year of our program, she's now in her own apartment.
(06:44):
She now has a job that she loves and that's
the job that she's always wanted to do. And our mentors,
through our program, our mentors were able to guide her
into that path of achieving that. And I mean, like
you said, I could tell you so many stilly but
I know that within six months of individuals being in
our program, we have seen great change. We've seen people
(07:06):
who now have a stable of housing. We see individuals
who now are getting regular mental and medical care. We
see individuals who are now more trusting of individuals and
seeking community. So, I mean, just so many.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Stories, Alison, No, I know, unfortunately there's so many stories,
but thank goodness, there are so many success stories as
well because of your program. What are some of the
things that we can do to protect ourselves or our
children from being trafficked?
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Just be aware of surroundings. And a lot of times
we hear, oh, human trafficking is more, is beyond, it's
more than stranger danger. Oh it's not stranger, but it
is strange of danger. Because most trafficking doesn't happen through kidnap,
it happens through relationships, what's called grooming. One of the
(08:01):
easiest ways to protect oneself from being trafficked is to
be careful with your vulnerabilities, because that's what traffickers use.
They prey on the vulnerable. So just be careful with
your vulnerabilities and tell that to you to youth and
children all the time. Be careful what you put on
social media, be careful who you share your problems with,
(08:23):
because a lot of times what traffickers do is they
become the answer to your vulnerability. You're threatened with homelessness.
They become that rent provider. You know, your parents for
a young person, your parents are herdling you just gotta
wait to move out of this house, so they're treating
you like a child. They become that person that treats
you like an adult and gives you everything that you need,
(08:47):
and then that's when that relationship begins to devolve into
something more sinister. Oh, if you loved me, you would
do this for me. Like the story I just told you,
this individual was sold by her siblings to his friends,
and that happens a lot. Siblings traffic the other siblings
(09:07):
uncle's traffic needs. So it's just a matter of just
being careful of relationships and guarding vulnerabilities because that's what
traffic ors prey on.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
What can we do, Can we donate, can we volunteer?
How can we help you?
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Well? Absolutely, the Underground New England we depend on donations.
We're a nonprofit that depend on donations and support on
partnerships and so we're always open to donations. We're open
to volunteers, So individuals can volunteer, they can donate, they
can join our monthly giving subs, the Freedom Circle that's
(09:41):
always open to more members. That really helps us to
eat providing services for our clients. And another thing that
individuals can do is just create platforms for the Underground
to come in and create awareness in your community, in
your church, in your professional group, in your soul group.
We're willing to come in and praise awareness within you know,
(10:04):
on that platform, but as a community, an individual we
can work together to increase that support and services for
people who are vulnerable and those who are at risks.
Like I said, support organizations right on the ground, New
England support petitions that advocate for survivor right support services
that decreases vulnerability like homelessness and domestic violence and poverty
(10:28):
and all kinds of discrimination. Everyone, everyone has a role
to play in ending human trafficking in Connecticut.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Earlier you mentioned if you do suspect human trafficking that
you should contact the authorities. What would be some of
the signs or symptoms that you would notice. I remember
at one time there was tattoos that looked like QR codes.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Maybe, uh, go ahead, Yes, that is becoming popular when
I'm becoming probular where individuals are being branded with cure codes.
And we know, of course, you can tell why a
cure code is easy payment. But yet if you see
a tattoo on an individual, and if you ask, oh,
(11:09):
that's a lovely tattoo and the story is incoherent story
behind the tattoo, that is it's you know, it leaves
questions in your mind, then that's that's an opportunity to
have further discussions. Just probably deeper. If this individual is
moving around the lot and you're able to have the conversation,
have that conversation, why are you moving so often? Is
(11:32):
there someone behind you're traveling? If you're asking questions or
you've noticed the individual has to seek permission from someone
to go somewhere or to do something, have that conversation
what's going on there? If individuals or are homeless, they
are highly accrisate of being traffic. That's an opportunity to
(11:54):
have a conversation. That's an opportunity to to look a
little bit closer. What can we trusking do not engage?
The best thing to do is to call in law
enforcements or call the Human Trusking Hotline.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Wonderful. I'm speaking with Nadine Thomas. She is executive director
of the Underground New England. If you'd like to become involved,
make a donation, learn more about what they do, go
to the undergroundne dot org. Thank you so much for
being here today and for all the amazing work you're doing.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Thank you for having me. Alison
Good morning, Thank you for listening to Community Access. I'm
Alison de Murz. My guest this morning is Nadine Thomas.
She is executive director of the Underground New England.
Speaker 2 (00:10):
Good morning, Good morning Alison. You for having me.
Speaker 1 (00:14):
Oh it's my pleasure. I'm so happy you're here. This
is a topic that is near and dear to my
heart for a very long time before it was ever
really made public. I knew about this thirty years ago.
I was in Misconnecticut at the time, and I chose
it as my platform. So that's how far back this
goes with me. So for those who don't know about
the Underground New England, what is it?
Speaker 2 (00:35):
Thanks for asking. The Underground New England and small organization
that works with adult survivors of human trafficking. So we
started in twenty twelve as an organization that just spread
awareness across the state of Connecticut about human trafficking, and
about three years ago, after repeated questions and approaches and
(00:59):
requests from survivors of human tracking, we've started offering basic
levels of services to survivors of human trafting. And then
in twenty twenty four we've really developed that program into
something more comprehensive where we walk alongside adult survivors from
the point of editing trafficking until they're independent and making
(01:23):
positive decisions, until they have a job, they live in
their own apartment, and just basically healed on the right
path to their complete healing.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
Yes, and for those who don't know about human trafficking,
what is human.
Speaker 2 (01:37):
Trafficking, we'd like to start with what human trafficking is not.
It is not taking someone and taking them across borders,
across state boarders or international borders. That's smuggling. It is
not someone who is involved in commercial sects that could
be exploitation or just survival sex. Human trafficking the legal
(01:59):
debt nation. Human tracking it involves recruiting, harboring, transporting, or
providing a person by use of force, fraud, or coercion.
And those are the three words that must be a
part of what defines human tracking. Force fraud, a coersion
and use this either force forrad a coersion to compel
(02:20):
that person into performing the forced labor or a commercial
sex act. And where there's an exchange of something of value.
Something of value is not necessarily money, it's not necessarily cash.
It could be rent, It could be a service, it
could be a ride, a sexy drive, or it could
be drugs. It could be just about anything that is
(02:42):
of value.
Speaker 1 (02:43):
So, for one example, let's say it could be a
young girl that goes to the mall and this guy says, hey,
and I'm not giving ideas here to the listeners. These
are things that go on and he says, hey, you
know I like you, and let's get together whatever, and
they do drugs. The next thing you know, she's addicted
to drugs and he's like, well, if you give me
(03:04):
sex or if you have sex with others, I'll give
you money, and then you can get more drugs. And
then she spirals downward and then it's while she needs food, Well,
I'll only give you food if you give sex to
these people. Well, I can't eat the food without a spoon.
I mean, they will go to any length they possibly
can to groom these poor people and to get them
(03:26):
into human trafficking.
Speaker 2 (03:28):
Absolutely. I mean traffickers will use physical abuse, threats, sexual
abuse intermigation. Absolutely, and I'm glad you you'll use that example.
Inducing or exploiting substance abuse. Those are absolutely ways that
a trafficker will do his work if I call it that.
Speaker 1 (03:48):
So how prevalent is human trafficking in the state of Connecticut.
Speaker 2 (03:52):
That's usually a tough question, Alison, because I could tell
you what the human trafficing hotlights SUGI success. Then six
cases were identified in Connecticut in twenty twenty four, and
from that there were one hundred and seventy an average
of one hundred and seventy victims. But we work the underground.
New England works with thirty adult survivors and to the
(04:14):
best of our knowledge, none of them has ever contacted
the human drafting outline, So it is much more prevalent
than the statistics they or that we think. But I'll
tell you this that often all the clients we have
worked with, or the survivors we've worked with over the years,
we have identified every city in every town in Connecticut
where someone was either traffic sooth or traffic proms. So
(04:38):
it is more widespread than we think, and it's closer
to home than we like to believe.
Speaker 1 (04:44):
Would you like to share a story about a survivor
who's come through the program, of course, out mentioning names
and how they're doing.
Speaker 2 (04:50):
Now, Wow, Aculdtill is so many stories, Alison because maybe
I should just give given an idea of what our
program looks like. We we have a tool to one
mentoring model, so one mentor with a lived experience and
one mentor who is trauma informed. These two mentors walk
alongside each survivor along the four phases of care programs.
(05:13):
These mentors connect individuals with resources for a holistic empowerment physically, spiritual, emotions,
and mentally medically. So case management is a huge part
of our work, whereby survivors are gently directed towards these
services and guided and coached as to how to access
these services. And in that process they are being taught
(05:35):
to take control of their own lives and to make
positive decisions. I could tell you about one person who
came to our program, and this is probably the case
of most of them. We have individuals who've come through
a program who were living in their car just trying
to escape that trafficker, who was of course homeless because
(05:57):
she's living in their car, did not have a job,
just did not know what to do, did not have
a skill because she was being trafficked since she was
two years old, and when she found that she was
an adult, over thirty years of a cycle of trafficking,
started with family, continued with several boyfriends, and within six
(06:20):
months of thankering our program, she was receiving trauma informed
medical care. She was working with a therapist, she was
making and not only making, but meeting smart goals. She
was actively looking for her own apartment, and within a
year of our program, she's now in her own apartment.
(06:44):
She now has a job that she loves and that's
the job that she's always wanted to do. And our mentors,
through our program, our mentors were able to guide her
into that path of achieving that. And I mean, like
you said, I could tell you so many stilly but
I know that within six months of individuals being in
our program, we have seen great change. We've seen people
(07:06):
who now have a stable of housing. We see individuals
who now are getting regular mental and medical care. We
see individuals who are now more trusting of individuals and
seeking community. So, I mean, just so many.
Speaker 1 (07:24):
Stories, Alison, No, I know, unfortunately there's so many stories,
but thank goodness, there are so many success stories as
well because of your program. What are some of the
things that we can do to protect ourselves or our
children from being trafficked?
Speaker 2 (07:39):
Just be aware of surroundings. And a lot of times
we hear, oh, human trafficking is more, is beyond, it's
more than stranger danger. Oh it's not stranger, but it
is strange of danger. Because most trafficking doesn't happen through kidnap,
it happens through relationships, what's called grooming. One of the
(08:01):
easiest ways to protect oneself from being trafficked is to
be careful with your vulnerabilities, because that's what traffickers use.
They prey on the vulnerable. So just be careful with
your vulnerabilities and tell that to you to youth and
children all the time. Be careful what you put on
social media, be careful who you share your problems with,
(08:23):
because a lot of times what traffickers do is they
become the answer to your vulnerability. You're threatened with homelessness.
They become that rent provider. You know, your parents for
a young person, your parents are herdling you just gotta
wait to move out of this house, so they're treating
you like a child. They become that person that treats
you like an adult and gives you everything that you need,
(08:47):
and then that's when that relationship begins to devolve into
something more sinister. Oh, if you loved me, you would
do this for me. Like the story I just told you,
this individual was sold by her siblings to his friends,
and that happens a lot. Siblings traffic the other siblings
(09:07):
uncle's traffic needs. So it's just a matter of just
being careful of relationships and guarding vulnerabilities because that's what
traffic ors prey on.
Speaker 1 (09:16):
What can we do, Can we donate, can we volunteer?
How can we help you?
Speaker 2 (09:21):
Well? Absolutely, the Underground New England we depend on donations.
We're a nonprofit that depend on donations and support on
partnerships and so we're always open to donations. We're open
to volunteers, So individuals can volunteer, they can donate, they
can join our monthly giving subs, the Freedom Circle that's
(09:41):
always open to more members. That really helps us to
eat providing services for our clients. And another thing that
individuals can do is just create platforms for the Underground
to come in and create awareness in your community, in
your church, in your professional group, in your soul group.
We're willing to come in and praise awareness within you know,
(10:04):
on that platform, but as a community, an individual we
can work together to increase that support and services for
people who are vulnerable and those who are at risks.
Like I said, support organizations right on the ground, New
England support petitions that advocate for survivor right support services
that decreases vulnerability like homelessness and domestic violence and poverty
(10:28):
and all kinds of discrimination. Everyone, everyone has a role
to play in ending human trafficking in Connecticut.
Speaker 1 (10:35):
Earlier you mentioned if you do suspect human trafficking that
you should contact the authorities. What would be some of
the signs or symptoms that you would notice. I remember
at one time there was tattoos that looked like QR codes.
Speaker 2 (10:49):
Maybe, uh, go ahead, Yes, that is becoming popular when
I'm becoming probular where individuals are being branded with cure codes.
And we know, of course, you can tell why a
cure code is easy payment. But yet if you see
a tattoo on an individual, and if you ask, oh,
(11:09):
that's a lovely tattoo and the story is incoherent story
behind the tattoo, that is it's you know, it leaves
questions in your mind, then that's that's an opportunity to
have further discussions. Just probably deeper. If this individual is
moving around the lot and you're able to have the conversation,
have that conversation, why are you moving so often? Is
(11:32):
there someone behind you're traveling? If you're asking questions or
you've noticed the individual has to seek permission from someone
to go somewhere or to do something, have that conversation
what's going on there? If individuals or are homeless, they
are highly accrisate of being traffic. That's an opportunity to
(11:54):
have a conversation. That's an opportunity to to look a
little bit closer. What can we trusking do not engage?
The best thing to do is to call in law
enforcements or call the Human Trusking Hotline.
Speaker 1 (12:08):
Wonderful. I'm speaking with Nadine Thomas. She is executive director
of the Underground New England. If you'd like to become involved,
make a donation, learn more about what they do, go
to the undergroundne dot org. Thank you so much for
being here today and for all the amazing work you're doing.
Speaker 2 (12:28):
Thank you for having me. Alison
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