08/21/2026
We are proud to celebrate Sun Gate Foundation CEO Shamere McKenzie for representing survivor leadership at the 2026 DHS Blue Campaign Symposium, hosted by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Center for Countering Human Trafficking.
Shamere joined federal legal experts Kate Finley, Deborah Sills, Leah Calabro, and Ayn Ducao for a powerful panel discussion on the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act (TSRA) and the importance of ensuring survivors have meaningful access to post-conviction relief.
For survivors who were compelled to engage in criminal activity as a result of their trafficking, leaving their trafficking situation does not always mean they are truly free. Trafficking-related convictions can follow survivors for years, creating barriers to education, employment, housing, financial stability, and long-term independence.
This issue is deeply connected to the mission of Sun Gate Foundation. We know that education can be transformative, but survivors must also have the opportunity to move forward without the circumstances of their exploitation continuing to define their future.
As Shamere emphasized, survivors must have a meaningful role in shaping the laws, policies, and systems intended to serve them. Survivor engagement is not simply about sharing stories; it is about bringing expertise, leadership, and lived experience to the tables where decisions are made.
We are grateful to DHS for creating space for this important conversation and proud to see Sun Gate Foundation represented in national discussions that advance justice, opportunity, and lasting freedom for survivors.
Freedom should mean more than surviving trafficking. It should mean having the opportunity to build the future you choose.
DHSBlueCampaign SurvivorVoice EducationIsFreedom PostConvictionRelief AntiTrafficking
