This legislation aims to enhance support for victims of certain crimes by expanding compensation eligibility and establishing a dedicated federal office. It amends the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 to authorize grants for "angel families," providing them with compensation for medical expenses, lost wages due to emotional distress, and funeral costs. An angel family is specifically defined as the immediate family members of an individual who is a victim of homicide committed by an alien unlawfully present in the United States or by a member of an international criminal organization involved in drug trafficking. This expansion ensures that these particular victims receive financial assistance for the profound impacts of such crimes. Additionally, the bill establishes the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office (VOICE) within the Department of Homeland Security to provide proactive services to victims of crimes committed by inadmissible, deportable, or unlawfully present aliens and their families. The VOICE Office will operate a hotline, offer information on immigration enforcement, assist with custody status updates, provide criminal or immigration history of the perpetrator, and submit annual reports to Congress.
This legislation aims to enhance support for victims of certain crimes by expanding compensation eligibility and establishing a dedicated federal office. It amends the Victims of Crime Act of 1984 to authorize grants for "angel families," providing them with compensation for medical expenses, lost wages due to emotional distress, and funeral costs. An angel family is specifically defined as the immediate family members of an individual who is a victim of homicide committed by an alien unlawfully present in the United States or by a member of an international criminal organization involved in drug trafficking. This expansion ensures that these particular victims receive financial assistance for the profound impacts of such crimes. Additionally, the bill establishes the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office (VOICE) within the Department of Homeland Security to provide proactive services to victims of crimes committed by inadmissible, deportable, or unlawfully present aliens and their families. The VOICE Office will operate a hotline, offer information on immigration enforcement, assist with custody status updates, provide criminal or immigration history of the perpetrator, and submit annual reports to Congress.