What is the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act?
Survivors of human trafficking are often criminalized for situations stemming from their trafficking experiences. Having a criminal record – even an arrest record without a conviction – can make it harder or virtually impossible for survivors to secure jobs, rent apartments, or even coach their children’s sports teams. If enacted, the TSRA would provide the first-ever pathway for criminalized survivors of human trafficking to clear their federal criminal records. Passing this bill would make a historic step forward in protecting victims and survivors of trafficking at the federal level.
The TSRA was reintroduced during the 119th Congress. It passed through the House of Representatives and the Senate in December 2025 and was officially signed into law on January 23, 2026!
If you were charged with a federal offense because you were being trafficked, this law may give you a path to clear your record.
Find out if you’re eligible, what kinds of charges can be cleared, and where to start:
90 percent of survivors with a criminal record reported at least some or all was related to their trafficking experience.
– Polaris National Survivor Study
Why Criminal Record Relief Matters
As part of the National Survivor Study, a research partnership with survivors, Polaris conducted online and phone surveys with 457 sex and labor trafficking survivors. The study found that for a majority of survivors, their criminal record created barriers to gainful employment, finding safe housing, continuing their education, and child custody.
Survivor Stories
Survivors of human trafficking are calling for Congress to pass the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act. Learn why they support this bill:
Find more videos HERE from survivors who share the challenges they face in clearing their unjust criminal records and how those records make it hard to move forward, heal, and rebuild their lives.
Read their Stories
Learn more about why survivors of human trafficking need federal criminal record relief legislation and why they’re calling on Congress to pass the TSRA:
TSRA Toolkit
Learn how policies are created, the latest on state and federal criminal records relief, data points about criminal records, and how you can engage with your elected officials to make a difference.