# Plain Language Summary: Justice for Angel Families Act

This bill creates a new way for families who've lost loved ones to homicide to receive financial support from the government. Specifically, it allows state crime victim compensation programs to provide money to families of people killed by someone who is unlawfully present in the United States or involved in international drug trafficking. These families—referred to as "angel families" in the bill—could receive help paying for funeral expenses, medical bills, mental health counseling, and lost wages due to emotional distress from their loss.

The bill also establishes a new office within the Department of Homeland Security called the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office. This office would run a hotline for victims and their families to call for support and information. The office would help connect people to social services, explain how the immigration enforcement process works, provide information about the person who committed the crime, and track what services victims actually need. The office would also study crimes committed by people unlawfully in the country and report annually to Congress about patterns, locations, and types of crimes.

In practical terms, if a family member is killed by someone who entered the country illegally or is part of an international drug organization, that family could now apply for state compensation funds to help cover their expenses and emotional recovery costs. The new office would serve as a central resource for these families to get information and support services they might not otherwise know about or be able to access.

Justice for Angel Families Act

Nehls, Troy E.

Justice for Angel Families Act This bill expands the allowable uses of state compensation payments for crime victims to include certain expenses for angel families. Angel family refers to the immediate family members of any individual who is a victim of homicide committed by (1) an individual who is unlawfully present in the United States, or (2) a member of an international criminal organization involved in the unlawful trafficking of controlled substances. The bill also reestablishes the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement Office within the Department of Homeland Security.