The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act of 2025 gives human trafficking victims a way to clear their criminal records for crimes they committed while being trafficked. If you were forced to commit a crime as part of being trafficked, you can now ask a federal court to erase your conviction or arrest from your record. This applies to non-violent crimes and, in some cases, violent crimes—though the law is more restrictive for violent offenses.

The bill recognizes that traffickers often force victims to commit crimes as part of their exploitation. Instead of being permanently marked as criminals, survivors can petition the court to vacate (overturn) their convictions or expunge (erase) their arrest records if they can show the crime was a direct result of being trafficked. For example, if you were forced to commit theft or drug offenses while under a trafficker's control, you could ask the court to remove that conviction from your record. The court will consider evidence from anti-trafficking service providers, clinicians, and law enforcement to determine if you were actually a trafficking victim.

Once your conviction is vacated or arrest is expunged, it's as if it never happened—employers and others won't see it on background checks, and you can legally say you were never convicted of that crime. The law also allows judges to reduce prison sentences for trafficking survivors who are already incarcerated, and it creates a legal defense of duress for people prosecuted for crimes they committed under trafficking. Additionally, grants for legal services can now be used to help trafficking survivors pursue post-conviction relief, and the government must track how many survivors use this new process.