President Trump Signs Rep. Fry’s Trafficking Survivors Relief Act into Law

This press release from Representative Russell Fry (R-SC) was published on 2026-01-23 and titled "President Trump Signs Rep. Fry’s Trafficking Survivors Relief Act into Law". It focuses on immigration and touches on trade policy, crime and justice.

President Trump Signs Rep. Fry’s Trafficking Survivors Relief Act into Law

President Trump Signs Rep. Fry’s Trafficking Survivors Relief Act into Law Washington, D.C. — Today, President Trump signed into law Congressman Russell Fry’s (SC-07) Trafficking Survivors Relief Act in the Oval Office, with Congressman Fry in attendance, marking a major victory for survivors of human trafficking and a critical step toward restoring justice for those who were forced or coerced into committing non-violent crimes as a direct result of their exploitation. Human trafficking remains a pervasive crisis across the United States, with victims often compelled by traffickers to engage in criminal activity such as fraud, drug offenses, or identity theft. Too often, survivors are arrested, prosecuted, and left with permanent criminal records—while their traffickers evade accountability. At the outset of a prosecution, this legislation establishes an affirmative defense to provide survivors with the opportunity to defend against only those charges that arose directly from their trafficking victimization. It also provides critical relief for survivors who have already been convicted as a result of their trafficking victimization through vacatur, expungement, and sentencing mitigation. Specifically, for a court to grant a motion to vacate a conviction or expunge an arrest, a defendant must show by a preponderance of the evidence that the offense was committed as a direct result of having been a victim of trafficking. Additionally, the defendant must establish, by clear and convincing evidence, that the defendant was a victim of human trafficking at the time the offense was committed. The bill only allows for non-violent offenses that were committed as a direct result of trafficking to be eligible for vacatur and expungement. Additionally, this bill clarifies that any crimes eligible for expungement are crimes that do not involve a child as a victim. “No survivor of human trafficking should carry a criminal record for non-violent crimes they were forced to commit under threat, abuse, or coercion,” said Congressman Fry . “This bill recognizes a simple truth: victims are not criminals. Too often, survivors are punished for their exploitation, instead of receiving the support they need to rebuild their lives. Passing the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act is a critical step toward restoring justice, dignity, and a real second chance to those who endured unimaginable exploitation.” “I signed the TAKE IT DOWN Act and Trafficking Survivors Relief Act to modernize our tools to fight human trafficking and enable survivors to rebuild their lives , ” said President Trump. “With these enhanced resources, our great law enforcement officers are now equipped with the tools needed to remove dangerous illegal aliens from our streets and dismantle human trafficking networks.” Supporting groups of the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act include South Carolina Attorney General Alan Wilson, 3Strands Global Foundation, the Asian American Hotel Owners Association, AHLA, CPAC, Engage Together, Hope for Justice, survivor leader Hollie Nadel, Justice Restoration Center, Major County Sheriffs of America, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE), PACT, Paving the Way Foundation, Pearl at the Mailbox, Raven, Right On Crime, Rights4Girls, Shared Hope International, Street Grace, The Moore Van Allen Human Trafficking Pro Bono Project, Thistle Farms, the UPS Foundation, and World Without Exploitation. “The Trafficking Survivor’s Relief Act offers hope to those affected by modern day slavery by creating pathways to break free from traffickers, while also breaking the cycle of re-victimization for these survivors that results from forced criminality,” said Director for CPAC Center for Combating Human Trafficking Frank William Russo, Jr . “CPAC's Center for Combating Human Trafficking has supported this bill since its inception and is proud to stand with law enforcement, prosecutors, advocates, service providers, faith leaders, and, most importantly, survivors as we celebrate passage of this historic legislation.” “After nearly a decade of advocacy, the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act is now law, giving survivors a chance to clear their records and reclaim their lives,” said Rights4Girls Executive Director Yasmin Vafa . “The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act begins to right a profound wrong and opens the door for survivors to reclaim their futures,” said human trafficking survivor leader Hollie Nadel. “Justice begins when the law stops blaming the exploited. Coercion is not choice,” said human trafficking survivor leader Heather Pagàn. “Relief, record clearance, and dignity are essential for recovery and true freedom,” said Founder Executive Director of Pearl at the Mailbox and human trafficking survivor Sheri Lopez . “Erasing convictions tied to exploitation restores dignity, removes lifelong barriers, and affirms that coercion is not choice,” said human trafficking survivor advocate Bekah Charleston. “The TSRA closes the federal gap