Human Trafficking Laws & Regulations

Below is a non-exhaustive list of human trafficking related laws, regulations and policies relevant to DHS.

Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 and Its Reauthorizations

Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000, Pub. L. No. 106-386 (Oct. 28, 2000)
Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2003, Pub. L. No. 108-193 (Dec. 19, 2003)
Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2005, Pub. L. No. 109-164 (Jan. 10, 2006)
William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2008, Pub. L. No. 110-457 (Dec. 23, 2008)
Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013, Pub. L. No. 113-4, title xii (Mar. 7, 2013)
Abolish Human Trafficking Act of 2017, Pub. L. No. 115-392 (Dec. 21, 2018)
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2017, Pub. L. No. 115-393 (Dec. 21, 2018)
Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act of 2018, Pub. L. No. 115-425 (Jan. 8, 2019)
Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2017, Pub. L. No. 115-393 (Jan. 9, 2019).
Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 2017, Pub. L. No. 115-427 (Jan. 9, 2019)

Violence Against Women Act of 1994, Pub. L. No. 103-322, 108 Stat. 1796, 1902 (September 13, 1994)
Violence Against Women Act 2005, Pub. L. No. 109-162 (Jan. 5, 2006)
Technical Corrections to Violence Against Women Act 2005, Pub. L. No. 109-271 (Aug. 12, 2006)
Justice for Victims of Trafficking Act of 2015, Pub. L. No. 114-22 (May 29, 2015)
Violence Against Women Act Reauthorization Act of 2022, Div. W. of Pub. L. No. 117-103 (Mar. 15, 2022)

18 U.S.C. § 1589, Forced Labor
18 U.S.C. § 1591, Sex Trafficking of Children OR by Force, Fraud or Coercion
18 U.S.C. § 1592, Unlawful Conduct with Respect to Documents in Furtherance of Trafficking, Peonage, Slavery, Involuntary Servitude, or Forced Labor (aka Document Servitude)
18 U.S.C. § 1594, Attempt/Conspiracy/Forfeiture
18 U.S.C. § 1597, Unlawful Conduct Regarding Immigration Documents
18 U.S.C. § 1351, Fraud in Foreign Labor Contracting
Additionally, DHS conducts criminal investigations of related offenses that traffickers commit including fraud, drug trafficking, immigration, human smuggling, money laundering, visa fraud, child sexual abuse materials, interstate prostitution, sexual exploitation of children, and obstruction.

Tariff Act of 1930, Pub. L. No. 71-361 (June 17, 1930), as amended by the Trade Facilitation and Trade Enforcement Act of 2015, Pub. L. No. 114-125 (Feb. 24, 2016)
Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act, Pub. L. No. 115-44 (August 2, 2017)
Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, Pub. L. No. 117-78 (Dec. 23, 2021)
19 U.S.C. § 1307 Convict-made Goods; Importation Prohibited
19 C.F.R. § 12.42-45 Merchandise Produced by Convict Forced, or Indentured Labor
CBP Publication No. 1793-0522, UFLPA Operational Guidance for Importers (June 13, 2022)
Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force, Strategy to Prevent the Importation of Goods Mined, Produced, or Manufactured with Forced Labor in the People's Republic of China

Crime Victims’ Rights Act of 2004, 18 U.S.C. § 3771
Victims’ Rights and Restitution Act of 1990, 34 U.S.C. § 20141
Victim and Witness Protection Act of 1982, Pub. L. No. 97-291, 96 Stat. 1248 (1982)
Victims of Crime Act of 1984, Pub. L. No. 98-473, 98 Stat. 1837 (1984)
Federal Guidelines for Treatment of Crime Victims and Witnesses in the Criminal Justice System, 18 U.S.C. § 1512
Victims of Child Abuse Act of 1990, Pub. L. No. 101-647, 104 Stat 4789 (1990)
Child Victims’ and Child Witnesses’ Rights Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3509
Sexual Assault Survivors’ Rights Act, 18 U.S.C. § 3772
U.S. Department of Justice, Attorney General Guidelines for Victim and Witness Assistance (2022)

22 U.S.C. § 7105(c), Protection and Assistance for Victims of Trafficking
22 U.S.C. § 7105(c)(3), Authority to Permit Continued Presence in the United States
8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(15)(T), T Nonimmigrant Status
8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(15)(U), U Nonimmigrant Status
8 U.S.C. § 1101(a)(27)(J), Special Immigrant Juvenile Classification
8 U.S.C. § 1154 (2000), Procedure for Granting Immigrant Status (VAWA)
8 U.S.C. § 1232, Enhancing Efforts to Combat the Trafficking of Children
8 U.S.C. § 1367, Penalties for Disclosure of Information
28 C.F.R. Part 1100 Trafficking in Persons

6 U.S.C. § 242, Department of Homeland Security Blue Campaign
6 U.S.C. § 242a, Department of Homeland Security Center for Countering Human Trafficking
6 U.S.C. § 258, Homeland Security Investigations Victim Assistance Program
6 U.S.C. §§ 641-645a, Anti-Trafficking Training for Department of Homeland Security Personnel
Department of Homeland Security, DHS Strategy to Combat Human Trafficking, the Importation of Goods Produced with Forced Labor, and Child Sexual Exploitation (2020)

Executive Order 14165, Securing Our Borders (Jan. 20, 2025)
Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion (Jan. 20, 2025)
Executive Order 13923, Establishment of the Forced Labor Enforcement Task Force Under Section 741 of the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement Implementation Act (May 20, 2020)
Executive Order 13903, Combating Human Trafficking and Online Child Exploitation in the United States (Jan. 31, 2020)
Executive Order 13773, Enforcing Federal Law with Respect to Transnational Criminal Organizations and Preventing International Trafficking (Feb. 9, 2017)
Executive Order 13627, Strengthening Protections Against Trafficking in Persons in Federal Contracts (Sep. 25, 2012)
Executive Order 13257, President’s Interagency Task Force to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (Feb. 13, 2002)
White House, National Action Plan to Combat Human Trafficking (2020/2021)
Federal Acquisition Regulation 52.222-50, Combating Trafficking in Persons (Oct. 25, 2022)