Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000


The Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000 is a federal statute passed into law in 2000 by the U.S. Congress and signed by President Clinton. The law was later reauthorized by presidents Bush, Obama, and Trump. In addition to its applicability to US citizens, it has the ability to authorize protections for undocumented immigrants who are victims of severe forms of trafficking and violence.

History

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act was subsequently renewed in 2003, 2006, 2008. The law lapsed in 2011.
In 2013, the entirety of the Trafficking Victims Protection was attached as an amendment to the Violence Against Women Act and passed. There are two stipulations an applicant has to meet in order to receive the benefits of the T-Visa. First, a victim of trafficking must prove/admit to being a victim of a severe form of trafficking and second must be a part of the prosecution of his or her trafficker. This law does not apply to immigrants seeking admission to the United States for other immigration purposes.
Public Law No: 115-393 reauthorized the TVPA in 2018, as part of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2017.
Since the law requires the applicant to become part of the prosecution of his or her trafficker, trafficked persons may be fearful of retaliation upon the self or the family and thus serves as a major deterrent to individuals even considering application. The law contains provisions for protection of those who are categorized as victims of human trafficking, primarily for sex, smuggling, and forced labor forms of exploitation.
The TVPA allowed for the establishment of the Department of State's Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons, which coordinates with foreign governments to protect trafficking victims, prevent trafficking, and prosecute traffickers.

Amendments

Proposed

On September 30, 2017, President Donald Trump made a Presidential determination under .