The Trafficking Survivors Relief Act Sets the Standard for State Action

Last month, President Trump signed the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act into law. The Act creates a federal pathway for survivors of human trafficking to clear convictions and arrests related to their trafficking. Because victims are often pressured or forced to engage in illegal activity, the Act ensures that exploitation doesn’t continue via criminal sentence and legal record, even after they are freed from their traffickers. 

The passage of the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act marks a continuation of the momentum generated during the first Trump Administration through the First Step Act. The First Step Act was a bipartisan package of bills that emphasized reducing recidivism and sentencing reform. Notably, the First Step Act created an assessment system to evaluate inmates’ rehabilitation. Like the First Step Act, the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act encourages the nuance that justice requires by looking at the individual circumstances surrounding the crime and removing oft overlooked obstacles to rehabilitation. 

Smart policies on the national level are worth celebrating, and can set the tone for reform in state legislatures. 

During the 2025 legislative session in Louisiana, Senator Beth Mizell (R-Franklin) introduced a bill to provide support for victims of domestic abuse and human trafficking by amending the code of evidence to consider this background. SB152 did not advance past the Senate Judiciary Committee. Like the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act, SB152 provided mechanisms for those who committed crimes under coercion or out of self-defense to defend themselves in court and potentially, avoid a sentence that does not fit their crime. 

SB152 is but one example of the opportunities available to state legislatures to align with smart, federal policy and advance justice on the state level. The courts and prisons of Louisiana are at their capacity. It is both just and responsible to make sure that procedures and sentencing reflect individual culpability. Supporting survivors who acted under duress and are eager for a second chance is a way to encourage rehabilitation while also promoting a more efficient justice system. 

The leadership shown in enacting the Trafficking Survivors Relief Act poses a challenge to courts and state legislatures around the country. Louisiana’s lawmakers should revisit reforms like SB152 and seek ways to encourage a justice that is nuanced, aims at rehabilitation, and does not increase strain on an already overworked system.