VOICE Restoration Act

This bill would set up the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office (VOICE) inside U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to help people harmed by crimes committed by individuals in the U.S. without lawful immigration status. It focuses on a victim-centered approach, raising awareness of services, and building partnerships with community groups to support victims, witnesses, and their families .

Key points:

• Who is affected: victims of these crimes, witnesses, and legal representatives acting for a victim or witness.
• What changes: creates a dedicated office within ICE to offer help and information, promote available services, and work with local partners .
• Services offered: a toll-free hotline; local contacts for special requests; referrals to social service providers; help signing up for custody-status alerts; and, in some cases, sharing additional criminal or immigration history about the offender with victims or families.
• Reporting: the office must start publishing quarterly reports within 180 days after the law takes effect, studying the effects of these crimes on victims in the U.S..
• Context: DHS created a similar office in 2017 and ended it in 2021; this bill would restore it.