WHAT WE DO
Sex Workers Project (SWP) of the Urban Justice Center provides free immigration legal services to people ages 18 and up who are current or former sex workers, trafficking survivors, or profiled as sex workers. Our legal team members are leading national experts on the intersections of sex work criminalization and federal immigration law in the United States.
SWP offers full and limited representation for deportation defense, immigration screenings, consultations, and representation on immigration cases before U.S. Citizenship & Immigration Services.
Among other types of immigration relief, we offer assistance with:
Asylum, Withholding of Removal, Convention Against Torture, T Nonimmigrant Status, Adjustment of Status, Naturalization, Work authorization
SWP provides referrals for various issues including vacatur, social services, benefits enrollment, and name changes.
Black Lives Matter
The inequity in our society increases the challenges that Black people face in the sex work industry. Black trans people are targeted and murdered disproportionately whether they are working or not. To create change we took action to support the repeal of the Walking While Trans Ban and aim to increase the visibility of Black trans and gender nonconforming communities. We also partner with organizations that are Black and sex work led such as the Black Sex Workers Collective (BSWC) and the BIPOC Adult Industry Collective to amplify Black voices. One of our core values is to work towards living in an anti-oppressive society, advocating for Black lives by changing legislation, increasing mutual-aid and supporting efforts that are anti-racist.
Recent Press
Making An Impact On Human Trafficking
Classic City News
"Cody interned with the Sex Workers Project (SWP) in New York City. SWP is a national organization that defends the human rights of sex workers by destigmatizing and decriminalizing people in the sex trades through free legal services, education, research and policy advocacy."Maryland Carey Law’s New Appellate Immigration Clinic Takes Shape
The Daily Record
"In the spring 2023 semester, students in the clinic filed an amicus brief in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit on behalf of the Sex Workers Project of the Urban Justice Center, arguing that the court should reconsider a “crime of moral turpitude” deportation ground."There used to be tens of thousands of prostitution arrests annually in NYC. Now? About 100.
Gothamist
“'People need to take sex workers seriously and understand adult consensual sex work is not a sex crime,” [Zola] Bruce [of the Sex Workers Project] said. “We need to stop this criminalization of sex and sexuality in general and change the trajectory around that so that people can see sex work as a job.”Contact
Sex
Workers
Project
We welcome your questions and comments
Main Office
40 Rector Street, 9th FloorNew York, NY 10006
Telephone: 646-602-5617
Email: swp@urbanjustice.org
Hours
SWP does not receive walk in clients or inquiries. Please call our helpline at 646-602-5617