FreedomUnited.org

Wednesday June 10, 2026

When clean reports hide dirty supply chains

Aparna Ahuja, MD

Imagine you are a hospital in early 2021. The pandemic is raging. Your staff need gloves—millions of them. You have contracts in place. Audits have been carried out. Compliance certificates have been issued. Somewhere up the chain, a board of directors has reviewed a report and ticked the box. Then the US government seizes your shipments. That is exactly what happened when US Customs and Border Protection issued a formal import ban against Top Glove, one of the world's largest disposable glove manufacturers, after finding evidence of forced labor: debt bondage, confiscated passports,

Shipping container being pushed into port by small boats

Forced Labor

Thursday June 4, 2026

Who is the US protecting with its new forced labor tariffs?

Krysta Bisnauth

The Trump administration has proposed new tariffs on imports from 60 countries, including major trading partners like Canada, Mexico and the European Union. This is the second time that the administration has tried to increase import taxes after previous attempts were struck down by courts as unlawful. This time around, the administration claims the tariffs are for failing to do enough to stop goods made with forced labor from entering global supply chains. Tackling forced labor is worthy goal and deserves to be taken seriously. It is real, widespread, and the world has not done nearly

Child Slavery

Thursday May 28, 2026

When parents disappear: how ICE operations are leaving children vulnerable to exploitation

Krysta Bisnauth

Across the United States, tens of thousands of children are living in homes where a parent was there one day—and taken by federal agents the next. According to new reports by the Brookings Institution[1] and ProPublica[2], an estimated 145,000 American children have had a parent detained during the current immigration crackdown. Of those, more than 22,000 live in what researchers call "total loss" households—meaning every adult in the home was arrested at the same time. Widespread protests across the country have demanded their release and numerous reports have revealed horrific

Forced Labor

Wednesday May 20, 2026

Shein and Everlane just priced ethics at $100 million

Dianne Pratt

Everlane built its entire brand on three promises: Keep earth clean. Keep earth cool. Do right by people. It was the fashion label you could feel good about buying from. Now, a deal to sell Everlane has been struck with notorious fast fashion Chinese brand Shein for $100 million. The sale was reportedly approved last Saturday. [1] This is the same Shein that couldn't tell a parliamentary committee where its cotton comes from. The same Shein whose supply chain has been linked to the forced labor of over one million detained Uyghurs in the Uyghur Region of China. And the same Shein that

Mural of famous civil rights leader on a building in Atlanta

Forced Labor

Thursday March 19, 2026

Preparing for the World Cup: protect the people, not just the games

Rebekah Enoch

In 2026, the world will come to Atlanta, Georgia as it hosts matches for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. For many residents, it’s an exciting moment—a chance to showcase our city on the global stage. But large international events don’t just bring tourists and celebration. They can also bring serious risks, including labor exploitation, housing displacement, and human trafficking. The question now is whether Atlanta is fully prepared to protect vulnerable workers and communities from these risks. The City recently published a Human

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