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This bill would recreate a small office inside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to help people who are victims or witnesses of crimes committed by people in the United States without lawful immigration status. The office would use a victim-focused approach, connect people to services, and work with community groups. It would run a toll-free hotline, provide local contacts and social service referrals, help victims get automated updates about an offender’s custody status, and may share certain criminal or immigration history with victims or their families. The bill notes that a similar office was started in 2017 and closed in 2021, and it requires the new office to begin producing regular reports studying the effects of crimes committed by these individuals.
- Who is helped: victims and witnesses of crimes by noncitizens without lawful status, plus their legal representatives acting on their behalf.
- Services offered: a dedicated toll-free hotline, local contacts for special requests, referrals to social service professionals, custody status notifications, and possible access to an offender’s criminal or immigration history.
- Main duties: use a victim-centered approach, raise awareness of available services, and build partnerships with community organizations that assist victims.
- Reporting requirement: within 180 days of the law, the office must begin publishing quarterly reports to Congress, the Homeland Security Secretary, and the President about the effects of these victimizations.
Official Summaries
Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement Restoration Act or the VOICE Restoration Act
This bill establishes the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The office shall provide assistance to victims of crimes committed by non-U.S. nationals (aliens under federal law) who are present in the United States without lawful immigration status.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 47 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 47
To establish the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office within
the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 3, 2025
Mr. Bergman introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on the Judiciary
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To establish the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office within
the Department of Homeland Security, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Victims Of Immigration Crime
Engagement Restoration Act'' or as the ``VOICE Restoration Act''.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds the following:
(1) In April 2017, the United States Department of Homeland
Security launched the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
(ICE) Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office (VOICE) in
response to the Executive Order 13768 issued by President
Donald J. Trump entitled Enhancing Public Safety in the
Interior of the United States, which directed DHS to create an
office to support victims of crimes committed by criminal
aliens.
(2) In June 2021, the United States Department of Homeland
Security terminated VOICE pursuant to the Executive order on
the Revision of Civil Immigration Enforcement Policies and
Priorities issued by President R. Joseph Jr.
SEC. 3. VICTIMS OF IMMIGRATION CRIME ENGAGEMENT OFFICE.
(a) Establishment.--There is established the Victims of Immigration
Crime Engagement Office (hereinafter in this Act referred to as
``VOICE'') within the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which
shall provide assistance to victims of crimes committed by aliens
present in the United States without lawful status under the
immigration laws, in addition to witnesses and legal representatives of
individuals acting at the request of a victim or witness.
(b) Duties.--The duties of VOICE are to do the following:
(1) Use a victim-centered approach to acknowledge and
support persons who are victims or witnesses described in
subsection (a) and their families.
(2) Promote awareness of available services to such
persons.
(3) Build collaborative partnerships with community
stakeholders assisting such persons.
(c) Assistance.--The types of assistance authorized to be provided
by VOICE to such persons impacted by crimes committed by aliens
described in subsection (a) includes--
(1) the establishment and operation of a dedicated toll-
free VOICE Hotline to answer questions from victims;
(2) local contacts to help with unique requests from such
persons;
(3) access to social service professionals able to refer
victims to resources and service providers;
(4) assistance signing up to receive automated custody
status information regarding an alien described in subsection
(a) held in custody; and
(5) additional criminal or immigration history may be
available about an illegal alien to victims or their families.
(d) Report.--Not later than 180 days after the date of the
enactment of this Act, VOICE shall publish quarterly reports to
Congress, the Secretary of Homeland Security, and the President of the
United States studying the effects of the victimization by aliens
described in subsection (a) present in the United States.
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