Trafficking Survivors Relief Act

Trafficking Survivors Relief Act – Plain English Summary

This law creates a legal pathway for survivors of human trafficking to clear certain criminal records from their past. Specifically, it allows people who were victims of sex trafficking or labor trafficking to go to federal court and ask a judge to have their federal criminal convictions vacated (officially set aside) or expunged (erased) if those crimes were committed as a direct result of being trafficked. The idea is that many trafficking victims are forced or coerced into illegal activity by their traffickers, and their criminal records can follow them long after they escape, making it harder to rebuild their lives.

The law affects trafficking survivors who have federal criminal records connected to their victimization. To qualify, a person must demonstrate to a court that the offense they were convicted of happened because they were being trafficked — not as an independent choice. A judge then reviews the case and decides whether to grant relief. This process gives survivors a formal, legal way to remove barriers that their criminal history may create when they try to find jobs, housing, education, or other opportunities.

Overall, this law recognizes that trafficking victims often end up with criminal records through no real fault of their own and that those records can act as lasting punishment for people who were themselves victims of serious crimes. By becoming Public Law No. 119-73, it is now official federal law, meaning federal courts across the country must have a process in place to hear these requests from eligible survivors.