January 19,2018
the staff of the Ridgewood blog
Washington DC, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) established the Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office to acknowledge and serve the needs of crime victims and their families who have been affected by crimes committed by individuals with a nexus to immigration.
This office was explicitly called for in the President’s Executive Order titled, “Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States,” dated January 25, 2017.
***ICE may not be able to provide information regarding certain offenders to victims of a crime with a nexus to immigration due to the information being protected by policy or law. ***
Mission Statement
With honor and integrity, we will support victims of crimes committed by criminal aliens through access to information and resources.
Objectives
Use a victim-centered approach to acknowledge and support immigration crime victims and their families.
Promote awareness of rights and services available to immigration crime victims.
Build collaborative partnerships with community stakeholders assisting immigration crime victims.
Provide quarterly reports studying the effects of the victimization by criminal aliens present in the United States.
The men and women comprising the VOICE Office will be guided by a singular, straightforward mission – to ensure victims and their families have access to releasable information about a perpetrator and to offer assistance explaining the immigration removal process. ICE wants to ensure those victimized by criminal aliens feel heard, seen and supported.
Types of Support Available
Dedicated toll-free VOICE Hotline to answer questions from victims (1-855-48-VOICE).
*This is not a hotline to report crime. To report crime, please contact your local law enforcement agency or call 1-866-DHS-2-ICE.
Assistance signing-up to receive automated custody status information about an alien in custody (DHS-VINE);
Additional criminal or immigration history may be available about an alien to victims or their families;
Local contacts to help with unique victims’ requests, and
Access to skilled social science professionals available to refer victims to appropriate services.
Who can VOICE help?
A victim of crime(s);
A witness of crime(s);
An individual with a legal responsibility to act on behalf of a victim or witness (e.g., attorneys, parents, legal guardians, etc.); or
Individuals acting at the request of a victim or witness.
ICE VOICE Office website: www.ice.gov/voice
DHS-VINE: https://vinelink.dhs.gov/
Department of Justice Office for Victims of Crime: www.ovc.gov
Other toll-free hotlines (domestic violence, sexual assault, suicide prevention): www.ovc.gov/help/tollfree.html
