Victims of Immigration Crime Enforcement (VOICE) Quarterly Report

Take this for what it's worth:

Overview 

U. S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) protects America from the cross-border crime and illegal immigration that threaten national security and public safety. To carry out that mission, Ice focuses on smart immigration enforcement, preventing terrorism, and combating transnational criminal threats. The agency has an annual budget of approximately $6 billion, primarily devoted to three operational directorates—Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and the Office of the Principal Legal Advisor (OPLA). A fourth directorate—Management and Administration (M&A)—supports the three operational branches to advance the Ice mission.

• ERO upholds U.S. immigration law at, within, and beyond our borders. ERO’s work is critical to the enforcement of immigration law against those who present a danger to our national security,are a threat to public safety, or who otherwise undermine the integrity of our immigration system.
• HSI is the principal investigative component within the Department of Homeland Security(DHS), which conducts transnational criminal investigations that protect the United States against threats to national security and brings to justice those seeking to exploit U.S. customs and immigration laws worldwide.
• OPLA is the largest legal program in DHS and serves as the exclusive representative of DHS inimmigration removal proceedings before the Executive Office for Immigration Review, litigatingall removal cases including those against criminal aliens, terrorists, and human rights abusers.

The Executive Order titled Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States directed Ice's Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office (VOICE) to create quarterly reports studying the effects of the victimization by criminal aliens present in the United States.

This report provides anonymized case studies to depict the types of victims assisted by the VOICE Office since it launched on April 26, 2017, through September 30, 2017.The VOICE Office has several key objectives that include:

• Using a victim-centered approach to acknowledge and support victims and their families;
• Promoting awareness of available services to crime victims; and
• Building collaborative partnerships with community stakeholders assisting victims.

ICE established a toll-free hotline staffed with operators who triage calls to ensure victims receive the support they need. The number is 1-855-48-VOICE or 1-855-488-6423.

The type of assistance the VOICE Office offers includes:

• Establishing local contacts to help with unique victim requests;
• Linking victims with ICE Community Relations Officers (CROs) who serve as local representatives to help victims understand the immigration enforcement and removal process;
• Providing access to social service professionals who are able to refer victims to local resources and direct service providers;
• Assisting individuals in signing up to receive automated custody status information through the DHS-Victim Information and Notification Exchange (DHS-VINE); and
• To the extent permitted by law or policy, providing information about the offender, including the offender's immigration status and custody status, and answering questions and concerns regarding immigration enforcement.

Click here for the report.