Ridgewood Group Demonstrates On World Day Against Trafficking

RIDGEWOOD, NJ — April Monte was tired of watching Netflix. During the first month of the coronavirus pandemic, her job temporarily shut down, and she had reached peak boredom.

Instead of finding other ways to waste time, Monte found herself doing research.

She quickly discovered the work of Tim Ballard, the founder of Operation Underground Railroad, an anti-human trafficking organization founded in 2013.

The mother of three said she became intimately impacted by what she discovered through her research.

"Once you learn about what is going on, being a mother of three it really just hits your heart and soul like a sledgehammer to now know there are actually babies, toddlers, and teens out there stolen away from the love and protection of a parent or a family member," she said.

In a matter of months, Monte went from researching human trafficking to organizing a demonstration in Ridgewood to raise awareness about the cause on the World Day Against Trafficking.

Monte said, as of Monday, approximately 100 people have registered to participate in the demonstration, which will begin at Van Neste Square Park, scheduled for 7 p.m.

Others, she said, have reached out through social media, text messages and email asking how they can get involved, a testament to the level of care on the issue in Bergen County.

The Ridgewood event is just one of over 80 scheduled for Thursday by volunteers of O.U.R. across the country, in accordance with the national day of recognition.

According to the group's website, O.U.R. has "rescued 3,800 victims and assisted in the arrests of more than 2,100 traffickers around the world."

Though the group has plenty of supporters, Ballard has faced criticism for his support of President Donald Trump's proposed border wall, and for the tactics deployed in some of the group's "rescue missions."

Some critiques levied against the group are about the shortcomings of what happens after the victims are removed from the trafficking environment, but Monte shares that the group is helping victims acclimate to a world free from confinement.

According to the organization, O.U.R.'s aftercare program not only helps victims after they're rescued, but also makes connections with community groups before their intervention efforts take place.

"It is the current practice of O.U.R. Aftercare that before a rescue operation we build partnerships with in-country aftercare centers that will be able to provide quality holistic care through the healing process of the trauma of trafficking," the company said on their website.

"It is our hope, that in time, we will build on the generous support of individuals and corporations to increase the amount of humanitarian aid and aftercare assistance from O.U.R."

According to data from the National Human Trafficking Hotline, 1,498 cases of human trafficking in New Jersey have been reported through the service since 2007. In total, the Hotline has been contacted 4, 624 times regarding tips or reports of trafficking in the state.

In 2019, 247 New Jersey human trafficking cases were reported to the Hotline, data shows.

Through the demonstration on Thursday, Monte hopes to shed more light on the matter in Bergen County.

"I see a beautiful group of caring people reverently gathering to be a big bright peaceful spectacle," she said.