# Plain Language Summary: Justice for Angel Families Act

This bill creates a new federal program to provide financial support and services to families who have lost loved ones to homicide committed by people who are in the country illegally or are members of international drug trafficking organizations. The bill specifically defines "angel families" as the immediate family members of homicide victims killed by someone who entered the country illegally or is involved in drug trafficking. These families would become eligible to receive compensation through existing crime victim assistance programs that states already operate.

The compensation available to angel families would cover medical expenses (including mental health counseling), lost wages due to emotional distress from the crime, and funeral expenses. This expands the current victim compensation system, which traditionally focuses on people who were directly injured by crimes. Now families who suffer the loss of a loved one would have access to financial assistance to help them cope with both the practical and emotional aftermath of these specific types of homicides.

The bill also creates a new office within the Department of Homeland Security called the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office. This office would operate a hotline for victims and their families to call for help, provide information about immigration enforcement processes, connect people with social services and counseling, and give families updates on the custody status of the person who committed the crime. The office would also track data about these crimes and submit annual reports to Congress about the victims, the criminals involved, where crimes occurred, and what types of crimes were committed.