The Justice for Angel Families Act would expand crime victim compensation programs to include families of homicide victims whose killers are unlawfully present immigrants or members of international drug trafficking organizations. The bill modifies existing victim compensation rules under the Victims of Crime Act to allow states to distribute grants to these "angel families" for funeral expenses, mental health counseling, lost wages from emotional distress, and medical costs. Additionally, the legislation establishes a new Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office within the Department of Homeland Security to provide support services to victims and families affected by crimes committed by unlawfully present aliens, including operating a hotline and collecting data on such crimes. The new office would be required to submit annual reports to Congress beginning within one year of the bill's enactment, detailing victim demographics, crime locations, and criminal histories. The bill does not specify dedicated federal funding amounts but would operate within existing victim compensation grant structures.
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