---
kind: "section"
citation: "18 U.S.C. § 1592"
title: "18"
title_heading: "Crimes and Criminal Procedure"
number: "1592"
heading: "Unlawful conduct with respect to documents in furtherance of trafficking, peonage, slavery, involuntary servitude, or forced labor"
release: "119-102"
date: "2026-07-12"
url: "https://uscodex.org/usc/18/1592"
units:
  - "Part I — Crimes"
  - "Chapter 77 — Peonage, Slavery, and Trafficking in Persons"
---

# §1592. Unlawful conduct with respect to documents in furtherance of trafficking, peonage, slavery, involuntary servitude, or forced labor

- (a) [Whoever](/usc/18/921.md?p=a-1) knowingly destroys, conceals, removes, confiscates, or possesses any actual or purported passport or other immigration document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of another [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5)—
  - (1) in the course of a violation of section [1581](/usc/18/1581.md), [1583](/usc/18/1583.md), [1584](/usc/18/1584.md), [1589](/usc/18/1589.md), [1590](/usc/18/1590.md), [1591](/usc/18/1591.md), or [1594(a)](/usc/18/1594.md?p=a);
  - (2) with intent to violate section [1581](/usc/18/1581.md), [1583](/usc/18/1583.md), [1584](/usc/18/1584.md), [1589](/usc/18/1589.md), [1590](/usc/18/1590.md), or [1591](/usc/18/1591.md); or
  - (3) to prevent or restrict or to attempt to prevent or restrict, without lawful authority, the [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5)’s liberty to move or travel, in order to maintain the labor or services of that [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5), when the [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) is or has been a victim of a severe form of trafficking in [persons](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5), as defined in section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000,

  shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for not more than 5 years, or both.

- (b) [Subsection (a)](#a) does not apply to the conduct of a [person](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5) who is or has been a victim of a severe form of trafficking in [persons](/usc/18/229F.md?p=5), as defined in section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, if that conduct is caused by, or incident to, that trafficking.
- (c) [Whoever](/usc/18/921.md?p=a-1) obstructs, attempts to obstruct, or in any way interferes with or prevents the enforcement of this section, shall be subject to the penalties described in [subsection (a)](#a).

## Source credit

(Added Pub. L. 106–386, div. A, § 112(a)(2), Oct. 28, 2000, 114 Stat. 1488; amended Pub. L. 110–457, title II, § 222(b)(6), Dec. 23, 2008, 122 Stat. 5070.)

## Notes

### Editorial Notes

### References in Text

Section 103 of the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000, referred to in subsecs. (a)(3) and (b), is classified to section 7102 of Title 22, Foreign Relations and Intercourse.

### Amendments

2008—Subsec. (c). Pub. L. 110–457 added subsec. (c).