VOICE Restoration Act

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.

[Congressional Bills 118th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 47 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






118th 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 9, 2023

 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.
                                 <all>