Victims of Trafficking and Violence Protection Act of 2000

Victims of Traffickng and Violence Protection Act of 2000

Other short titles	William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act
Long title	An Act to combat trafficking in persons, especially into the sex trade, slavery, and involuntary servitude, to reauthorize certain Federal programs to prevent violence against women, and for other purposes.
Nicknames	Trafficking Victims Protection Act
Enacted by	the 106th United States Congress
Effective	October 28, 2000
Codification
Acts amended	2003, 2006, 2008
Legislative history
Introduced in the House as H.R.3244 by Christopher H. Smith on November 8, 1999 Passed the House on May 9, 2000 (Voice Vote) Passed the Senate on July 27, 2000 (Unamious consent) Signed into law by President Bill Clinton on October 28, 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 and Obama. It has the ability to authorize protections for undocumented immigrants who are victims of severe forms of trafficking and violence.

The Trafficking Victims Protection Act was subsequently renewed in 2003, 2006, 2008 (when it was renamed the William Wilberforce Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act of 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.

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.

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