WASHINGTON (RNS) President Obama announced on Tuesday (March 24) his nomination of Luis C. de Baca as ambassador-at-large to monitor and combat human trafficking.
“I’m grateful that this fine public servant has agreed to join my administration, and I am confident that with Secretary (of State Hillary) Clinton he will be an indispensable part of our team as we work tirelessly to stand up for human rights and the rule of law,” Obama said in a statement.
De Baca served as the Involuntary Servitude and Slavery Coordinator at the Department of Justice during the Clinton administration and helped develop the victim-centered approach used today in combating modern slavery.
In 2005, he won the Paul & Sheila Wellstone Award from Freedom Network, an anti-trafficking group.
De Baca currently serves as Counsel to the House Judiciary Committee. He has also served as chief counsel of the Justice Department’s Human Trafficking Prosecution Unit.
By Karin Hamilton
Copyright 2009 Religion News Service. All rights reserved. No part of this transmission may be distributed or reproduced without written permission.
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posted March 26, 2009 at 5:40 pm
It’s an important job; sounds like he may be qualified.
posted March 26, 2009 at 9:19 pm
Big job, and not an easy one by any standards. Seems to have experience. Horrible practice that needs to be stopped.
posted March 27, 2009 at 12:10 am
I expect to see him in our neighborhood some day soon. We have the most cases of slavery in the nation. Most of them are brought against the people who hire migrant tomato pickers. These are the folks who have not had a raise in 30 years, who have been handcuffed and locked in small rooms at night, and who have no access to the outside world. Mr De Baca, welcome to Lee County, Florida.
posted March 29, 2009 at 11:20 am
I thank God that something is being done about hauman trafficking!