In October 2003, Congress passed a law allowing trafficking victims to recover civil damages from their traffickers in federal courts, 18 U.S.C. § 1595, now known as the Trafficking Victims Protection Reauthorization Act (TVPRA). In the almost twenty years since its passage, the TVPRA’s civil remedy has become a powerful tool to hold traffickers accountable in federal court. As of December 31, 2021, 18 years after the law’s passage, plaintiffs had brought 539 cases2 in federal court under this cause of action, winning $265,009,824 in civil damages awards and public settlements.

This report from the Human Trafficking Legal Center discusses developments, challenges, and successes related to trafficking-related civil litigation.

Read the full report here.