Justice for Angel Families Act

This bill creates a new federal office to support people harmed by crimes committed by individuals who are unlawfully in the United States, and their families. It also authorizes grants for crime victims to be distributed to “angel families.” The Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office would offer a hotline, explain the immigration enforcement and removal process, connect families to social services, help them sign up for custody-status alerts, and share certain releasable criminal or immigration history about the offender. The office would also provide immediate services and track what victims need so it can improve over time.

The office must run a case study on how to best serve these victims and report to Congress each year. The report must include a summary of the case study and data on who the victims and offenders are, where the crimes happened, what types of crimes occurred, and whether offenders committed multiple crimes. The first report is due within one year of enactment, then annually.

Key points

• Who is affected: Crime victims and their families, including “angel families,” when the crime was committed by someone unlawfully in the U.S.
• What changes: A new office with a victim hotline, help navigating immigration processes, referrals to services, custody updates, and limited criminal/immigration history information. Annual reports will track impacts and needs.
• When: Annual reports start one year after the bill becomes law.