New DHS Office Gives 'VOICE' to Victims of Illegal Immigrant Crimes

WASHINGTON -- The Department of Homeland Security officially opened a new Immigration and Customs Enforcement office Wednesday for victims of illegal immigrant crime.

The goal of ICE's Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) office is to support victims and their families, as well as promote awareness of available services to crime victims.

"The name fits; we are giving ... for the first time a voice of their own to these victims," Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly said Wednesday.  

VOICE was born of an executive order issued by President Donald Trump aimed at improving public safety.

"All crime is terrible, but these victims are unique and too often ignored," Kelly said. "They are casualties of crimes that should never have taken place because the people who victimized them often times should not have been in the country in the first place."

Types of assistance provided by the office include:

• Local contacts to help with unique victim requests
• ICE community relations officers who will serve as a local representative explaining to victims what information is available and helping victims understand the immigration enforcement and removal process
• Access to social service professionals able to refer victims to resources and service provider
• A cadre of 27 victim assistance specialists located across the country available to direct victims to a wide range of resources. The victim assistance specialists possess a high degree of specialized victim assistance expertise and training.
• Assistance signing-up to receive automated custody status information
• An automated service, called DHS-Victim Information and Notification Exchange (DHS-VINE), designed to help victims track the immigration custody status of illegal alien perpetrators of crime. More information about DHS-VINE and how to sign-up to receive automated alerts can be found here.

The office may also be able to provide information about an illegal alien's criminal or immigration history to victims or their families.

VOICE expects to offer more services over time.

"This approach allows the office to provide immediate services to victims," the DHS explained in a statement Wednesday. "But will also allow the agency to collect metrics and information to determine additional resource needs and how the office can best serve victims and their families moving forward."