TEASER: How a Vague Provision of Human Trafficking Law Is Threatening Religious Communities | John Lauro
A 2008 update to the landmark Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) is increasingly being used to target religious communities, says attorney John Lauro, and raising red flags for experts in constitutional law.
The definition of the term “serious harm” in the statute was altered to include psychological and other non-physical harms.
This could affect the many religious communities that involve members voluntarily giving their time or money to religious causes; some of whom may later become disillusioned.
In recent years, “that provision has been weaponized by plaintiffs’ lawyers,” Lauro says.
“This statute … is like a dagger pointed at the soul of every voluntary religious community in the United States,” Lauro says.
An advocate for religious freedom, Lauro has worked as a criminal and civil defense attorney for decades.
Views expressed in this video are opinions of the host and the guest, and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.
Video Summary
AI GeneratedJohn Lauro, a religious freedom advocate and attorney, warns that updates to the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (TVPA) are being weaponized against voluntary religious communities. By expanding the definition of \"serious harm\" to include psychological coercion, the law allows for criminal charges and civil damages based on non-physical harm, threatening independent spiritual practices.