18 U.S.C. § 1584

Sale into involuntary servitude

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(a) Whoever knowingly and willfully holds to involuntary servitude or sells into any condition of involuntary servitude, any other person for any term, or brings within the United States any person so held, shall be fined under this title or imprisoned not more than 20 years, or both. If death results from the violation of this section, or if the violation includes kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or the attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, the defendant shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or life, or both.(b) Whoever 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).(June 25, 1948, ch. 645, 62 Stat. 773; Pub. L. 103–322, title XXXIII, § 330016(1)(K), Sept. 13, 1994, 108 Stat. 2147; Pub. L. 104–208, div. C, title II, § 218(a), Sept. 30, 1996, 110 Stat. 3009–573; Pub. L. 106–386, div. A, § 112(a)(1), Oct. 28, 2000, 114 Stat. 1486; Pub. L. 110–457, title II, § 222(b)(2), Dec. 23, 2008, 122 Stat. 5068.)Historical and Revision Notes

Based on title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., §§ 423, 446 (Mar. 4, 1909, ch. 321, §§ 248, 271, 35 Stat. 1139, 1142).

Sections consolidated with changes of phraseology necessary to effect consolidation.

Reference to persons causing or procuring was omitted as unnecessary in view of definition of “principal” in section 2 of this title.

Provisions as to holding of kidnapped persons were omitted as superseded by section 1201 of this title and original text relating to sale or holding to involuntary servitude retained.

Words “within the United States” were substituted for “within the jurisdiction of the United States”. (See section 5 of this title defining “United States”.)

The punishment provisions were derived from section 446 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., as more consistent with other sections of this chapter.

The requirement of section 423 of title 18, U.S.C., 1940 ed., for payment of one-half the fine “for the use of the person prosecuting the indictment to effect” was omitted as meaningless. (See also reviser’s note under section 1585 of this title.)

Mandatory-punishment provisions were rephrased in the alternative.

Minor changes were made in phraseology.

Editorial NotesAmendments

2008—Pub. L. 110–457 designated existing provisions as subsec. (a) and added subsec. (b).

2000—Pub. L. 106–386 substituted “20 years” for “10 years” and inserted at end “If death results from the violation of this section, or if the violation includes kidnapping or an attempt to kidnap, aggravated sexual abuse or the attempt to commit aggravated sexual abuse, or an attempt to kill, the defendant shall be fined under this title or imprisoned for any term of years or life, or both.”

1996—Pub. L. 104–208 substituted “10 years” for “five years”.

1994—Pub. L. 103–322 substituted “fined under this title” for “fined not more than $5,000”.

Statutory Notes and Related SubsidiariesEffective Date of 1996 Amendment

Amendment by Pub. L. 104–208 applicable with respect to offenses occurring on or after Sept. 30, 1996, see section 218(d) of Pub. L. 104–208, set out as a note under section 1581 of this title.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 125 cases (36 in the last 5 years), 1933–2026 · leading case: United States v. Kozminski, 487 U.S. 931 (1988).

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United States v. Kozminski, 487 U.S. 931 (1988). · cites it 10× “" Title 18 U. S. C. § 1584 makes it a crime knowingly and willfully to hold another person "to involuntary servitude.”

United States v. Kaufman, 546 F.3d 1242 (10th Cir. 2008). · cites it 6× “§ 1589 ); three counts of involuntary servitude (under 18 U.S.C. § 1584 ); sixteen counts of health care fraud (under 18 U.”

Victor Zavala v. Wal Mart Stores Inc, 691 F.3d 527 (3rd Cir. 2012). · cites it 2× “Pleading of the RICO Predicates a) Pleading of the RICO Involuntary Servitude Predicate Plaintiffs claim that the conditions of their employment amount to involuntary servitude, barred by 18 U.”

Zavala v. Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., 393 F. Supp. 2d 295 (D.N.J. 2005). · cites it 4× “§ 1324 (a)(3)(A); (8) involuntary servitude, 18 U.S.C. § 1584 ; (9) money laundering of the proceeds of the criminal acts, 18 U.”

Winfred Muchira v. Halah Al-Rawaf, 850 F.3d 605 (4th Cir. 2017). · cites it 2× “Specifically, Muchira alleged that she was a victim of: (1) involuntary servitude, in violation of the Thirteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution and 18 U.S.C. § 1584 ; (2) trafficking with respect to peonage, slavery, involuntary servitude, or forced labor in…”

Manliguez v. Joseph, 226 F. Supp. 2d 377 (E.D.N.Y 2002). · cites it 4× “Plaintiff States an Involuntary Servitude Claim Under 18 U.S.C. § 1584 4 The Thirteenth Amendment and its enforcing statute, 18 U.”

Kiwanuka v. Bakilana, 844 F. Supp. 2d 107 (D.C. Cir. 2012). · cites it 5× “Constitution and 18 U.S.C. § 1584 . In Count II, plaintiff brings a claim under 18 U.”

Lagayan v. Odeh, 199 F. Supp. 3d 21 (D.D.C. 2016). · cites it 3× “§ 1589 ; in Count III, she alleges a violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1584 ; in Count IV, she alleges a violation of 18 U.”

United States v. Ike Kozminski, Margarethe Kozminski, & John Kozminski, 821 F.2d 1186 (6th Cir. 1987). · cites it 5× “18 U.S.C. § 1584 historical and revision notes (1982).”

William Burrell, Jr. v. Tom Staff, 60 F.4th 25 (3rd Cir. 2023). · cites it 2× “” In Kozminski, the Supreme Court held that the phrase “involuntary servitude,” as used in 18 U.S.C. § 1584 and the Thirteenth Amendment, is “limited to cases involving the compulsion of services by the use or threatened use of physical or legal coercion.”

Ali v. Khan, 336 F. Supp. 3d 901 (E.D. Ill. 2018). · cites it 4× “) Approximately one year later, on May 26, 2017, Ali filed this lawsuit, alleging that Khan held him in involuntary servitude in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1584 ; obtained his labor and services by force, in violation of 18 U.”

United States v. Supawan Veerapol, 312 F.3d 1128 (9th Cir. 2002). · cites it 3× “OPINION WARDLAW, Circuit Judge: On August 12, 1999, Supawan Veerapol was convicted by a jury of one count of holding another to involuntary servitude in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 1584 , three counts of mail fraud in violation of 18 U.”

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