Hope for Justice welcomes the further progress through Congress made by the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act (TSRA), which has now passed the House Judiciary Committee.
This law would mean survivors of human trafficking could have non-violent criminal convictions or arrest records vacated and expunged if they resulted from having been a trafficking victim. The Bill was introduced to the House in January 2024 and the Senate in May 2024, and we urge both the House and the Senate to swiftly consider and pass this important legislation.
We have been advocating for this legislation in Washington and working with lawmakers to see it advance. Our U.S. Team Leader for Investigations, Dr. Richard Schoeberl, was quoted prominently in the news release announcing the Congressional introduction of the bill, which was also covered by CNN and other national and local media earlier this year:
As sex trafficking survivor and advocate Julie Whitehead stated: “My trafficker forced me into situations where I easily could have been arrested, but I complied because I knew it was a matter of life and death. I knew if I didn’t do exactly what my trafficker told me, he would make good on his threats and kill me or someone I loved. This bill would be life-changing for victims and survivors of trafficking. Almost every decision we make is to help us survive, and we should not be punished or held accountable for having made the decision to live.”
We urge supporters to contact their Representatives (House and Senate) to encourage them to pass the TSRA fully into law.
