N.Y. Penal Law Section 135.35
Labor trafficking

A person is guilty of labor trafficking if he or she compels or induces another to engage in labor or recruits, entices, harbors, or transports such other person by means of intentionally:

1.

requiring that the labor be performed to retire, repay, or service a real or purported debt that the actor has caused by a systematic ongoing course of conduct with intent to defraud such person;

2.

withholding, destroying, or confiscating any actual or purported passport, immigration document, or any other actual or purported government identification document, of another person with intent to impair said person’s freedom of movement; provided, however, that this subdivision shall not apply to an attempt to correct a social security administration record or immigration agency record in accordance with any local, state, or federal agency requirement, where such attempt is not made for the purpose of any express or implied threat;

3.

using force or engaging in any scheme, plan or pattern to compel or induce such person to engage in or continue to engage in labor activity by means of instilling a fear in such person that, if the demand is not complied with, the actor or another will do one or more of the following:

(a)

cause physical injury, serious physical injury, or death to a person; or

(b)

cause damage to property, other than the property of the actor; or

(c)

engage in other conduct constituting a felony or unlawful imprisonment in the second degree in violation of section 135.05 of this article; or

(d)

accuse some person of a crime or cause criminal charges or deportation proceedings to be instituted against such person; provided, however, that it shall be an affirmative defense to this subdivision that the defendant reasonably believed the threatened charge to be true and that his or her sole purpose was to compel or induce the victim to take reasonable action to make good the wrong which was the subject of such threatened charge; or

(e)

expose a secret or publicize an asserted fact, whether true or false, tending to subject some person to hatred, contempt or ridicule; or

(f)

testify or provide information or withhold testimony or information with respect to another’s legal claim or defense; or

(g)

use or abuse his or her position as a public servant by performing some act within or related to his or her official duties, or by failing or refusing to perform an official duty, in such manner as to affect some person adversely. Labor trafficking is a class D felony.

Source: Section 135.35 — Labor trafficking, https://www.­nysenate.­gov/legislation/laws/PEN/135.­35 (updated Jan. 22, 2016; accessed Feb. 28, 2026).

Green check means up to date. Up to date

Verified:
Feb. 28, 2026

Last modified:
Jan. 22, 2016

§ 135.35. Labor trafficking's source at nysenate​.gov

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