Willacy County proclaims January 2026 Human Trafficking Awareness Month; SART biennial report accepted

Willacy County Commissioners on Dec. 11 adopted a proclamation declaring January 2026 National Human Trafficking Awareness Month and approved an awareness day on Jan. 9 that will include presentations and a survivor’s account.

Zoe Lopez of the Willacy County District Attorney’s Office presented the proclamation and said agencies will use the Jan. 9 event to share services and resources. Lopez urged the court to approve nonmonetary support, including placing blue ribbons on the courthouse lawn.

The commissioners then heard a presentation of the Willacy County Adult Sexual Assault Response Team’s (SART) 2025 biennial report. Logan Lassan, shelter director for a family crisis center, introduced SART program director Jennifer Hoshino, who outlined the report and state reporting requirements tied to the statute cited in the presentation (referred to in the report as Senate Bill 476). Hoshino described the report as a county-level accountability document that documents coordinated work among law enforcement, prosecutors, medical providers, advocates and community partners.

The court approved a resolution acknowledging the SART report, recording that Willacy County established its Adult SART effective Nov. 10, 2021, and noting the appointment of Laura Dominguez on Dec. 2, 2025, as a sexual assault nurse examiner. The resolution directs staff to submit the report to the governor’s office and to post it on the Willacy County website and at the county judge’s office.

By voice vote the court carried the proclamation and the resolution. Commissioners and staff emphasized that accurate reporting helps the governor’s office identify service gaps and training needs and supports survivor-centered responses. The Jan. 9 awareness day will include agency tables and a survivor speaker, and organizers said they will provide more logistical details as the event approaches.