DECATUR, Ill. -- The Human Trafficking Research Lab at Millikin University is hosting the ninth annual panel discussion for Human Trafficking Awareness Month entitled “Labor Trafficking.” The panel will be on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, at 6:00 p.m. in the Bob and Debi Johnston Banquet Rooms of the University Commons at Millikin University. The panel will round out events held around the United States for Human Trafficking Prevention Month 2026.
This panel discussion will feature different labor trafficking experts from around Central Illinois and will discuss the challenges and opportunities for combating labor trafficking and the implications of identification and policing on survivors and victims in our region. Guests will include:
- •Jane Flanagan, Director, Illinois Department of Labor
- •Romina Hendrzak, Regional Coordinator, R-5 Anti-Trafficking Services U.S. Committee for Refugees and Immigrants
- •Katrina Quillen, Supervising Attorney, Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services
- •Salem Starr, Human Trafficking Survivor Advocate
The panel is sponsored by the Human Trafficking Research Lab at Millikin University and the Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Family Services office in Decatur.
For more information, please see the Facebook event page “Labor Trafficking” https://www.facebook.com/share/1GiCptQErJ/ or contact Dr. Laura Dean at ldean@millikin.edu.
To arrange media coverage, contact Matt Flaten, Millikin University Assistant Director of Public and Media Relations, at 217-420-6636 or mflaten@millikin.edu.
About The Human Trafficking Research Lab (HTRL)
The Human Trafficking Research Lab (HTRL) at Millikin University was established in 2018 to transform undergraduate Performance Learning projects into cutting-edge human trafficking research. The HTRL team at Millikin University conducts policy-relevant research on human trafficking within the United States and internationally. We are the only undergraduate research lab focused on human trafficking in the state of Illinois and one of a handful in the entire United States, making this applied research experience truly unique for Millikin students.
