The Trump administration has announced the revival of a crucial department dedicated to aiding victims of immigrant crime, underlining its unwavering commitment to addressing border-related issues and their repercussions.
The Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) Office is set to be reinstated under the leadership of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, as reported by the Daily Caller News Foundation. The VOICE Office, which was abruptly closed mere months after President Joe Biden assumed office in 2021, provides essential support services to victims of immigrant crime and their families.
In a prepared statement, Noem expressed her interactions with Angel Families, those who have lost a loved one due to an illegal alien who should not have been in the country. She stated, I met with Angel Families who lost a loved one because of an illegal alien who should never have been in our country. The previous administration ignored these families and the other victims of illegal alien crime.
Noem further elaborated on the benefits of the VOICE Office's revival, stating, With the re-launching of the VOICE Office, we are giving victims and their families access to resources and support services.
The VOICE Office will play a pivotal role in helping victims of migrant crime comprehend the immigration enforcement and removal process. It will assist in registering for automated custody status information on criminal migrants in Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody and provide additional history on illegal migrants to families, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
The office will also guide victims on how to provide a victim impact statement and offer access to social service professionals and other contacts to help victims connect with necessary resources.
The VOICE Office was initially established in 2017 during the first Trump administration, serving as a resource for those victimized by illegal migrants and other foreign nationals. However, the Biden administration, in its quest to dismantle the immigration enforcement apparatus built by the Trump White House, discontinued the office in June 2021.
The closure of the VOICE Office under Biden's administration coincided with an unprecedented illegal immigration crisis and a series of high-profile crimes allegedly committed by illegal migrants.
Among the victims was Laken Riley, a 22-year-old Georgia nursing student, who was murdered in February 2024 by Venezuelan illegal migrant Jose Ibarra. This tragic incident prompted state and federal lawmakers to pass legislation tightening immigration enforcement. Another victim was Jocelyn Nungaray, a 12-year-old Texas girl, found dumped in a north Houston creek in June 2024. Venezuelan illegal migrants Franklin Joe Pena Ramos and Johan Jose Martinez Rangel were accused of sexually abusing and killing her.
Jocelyn's mother, Alexis Nungaray, will be among several angel parents attending the VOICE Office's relaunch. Since her daughter's brutal killing, Nungaray has become an advocate for stricter immigration laws and has appeared alongside President Donald Trump at several press events.
Other angel parents attending the event will include Sabine Durden-Coulter, whose son, a California sheriffs dispatcher, was killed in 2012 by an illegal migrant with a reported history of DUIs, and Tammy Nobles, whose 20-year-old daughter was raped and strangled to death in her home in July 2022 by an illegal migrant teen.
Also present will be Amanda Kiefer, a victim of an illegal migrant who avoided prison due to a left-wing initiative launched by then-San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris. Kiefer was left with a fractured skull in 2008 when Alexander Izaguirre, an illegal migrant from Honduras, snatched her purse and attempted to run her over with a car.
Kiefer stated that the incident altered her political perspective, and she has since become a vocal supporter of Trump.
In a final note, Noem stated, President Trump and I will continue to remove criminal illegal aliens from our streets and make America safe again. This statement underscores the administration's commitment to ensuring the safety of American citizens by addressing the issue of illegal immigration.
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