Sponsors (11)
The bill directs new compensation, counseling authority, a central hotline, and data collection to help families of homicide victims killed by unlawfully present noncitizens or certain traffickers, but its narrow eligibility, added administrative verification, privacy/stigmatization risks, and federal costs mean many victims remain excluded and some services may be delayed.
Immediate family members of homicide victims killed by unlawfully present noncitizens or members of international drug‑trafficking organizations become eligible for compensation covering medical care, mental‑health treatment, lost wages from emotional distress, and funeral costs.
Families of crime victims gain explicit authority under State victim‑compensation programs to receive coverage for mental‑health counseling, improving access to trauma care.
Crime victims and their families gain a central DHS office and hotline that provides information, referrals, custody‑status alerts, and immediate assistance, making it easier to find services and stay informed.
Many homicide survivors (including families of victims killed by citizens or lawful residents) are excluded because eligibility is limited to killings by unlawfully present noncitizens or certain international traffickers, leaving numerous victims without access to these new compensations and services.
State victim‑compensation programs will need to verify immigration or international‑trafficking status before paying benefits, creating administrative complexity that could delay payments to families.
Creating and operating a new DHS office and hotline will impose additional federal costs that could increase taxpayer expense without clear offsets or savings.
Based on analysis of 3 sections of legislative text.
Allows state victim compensation programs to pay "angel families" of qualifying homicide victims and creates a DHS office (VICE) to help victims of crimes by certain noncitizens and report data to Congress.
Official title: To authorize grants for crime victims to be distributed to angel families, and for other purposes.
Introduced May 13, 2025 by Troy E. Nehls · Last progress May 13, 2025
Creates a new federal office to help victims and family members of crimes committed by noncitizens unlawfully in the United States, and expands who can receive state crime victim compensation to include immediate family members of homicide victims killed by certain noncitizens (defined by unlawful presence or membership in international drug‑trafficking organizations). The new Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VICE) Office will run a hotline, provide referrals and custody/status information, collect data on victims and offenders, produce a case study, and report to Congress annually.