Angel Family Speaks at ICE Event

At an event commemorating the revival of family assistance programs, relatives of victims of violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants expressed their ongoing pain. This was reported by Fox News Congressional Correspondent Bill Melgin.

On Thursday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced the arrest of more individuals suspected of being illegal immigrants with various criminal convictions. This announcement aligns with the one-year mark since the department restarted its program to aid victims of crimes by immigrants. It is important to note that the arrests and convictions cited by ICE haven’t been independently verified.

The Office of Immigrant Crime Victim Assistance, known as VOICE, was reestablished on April 10, 2025, to provide resources for victims of crimes committed by illegal immigrants and their families.

This program was originally initiated in 2017 during the first term of President Donald Trump. However, it was replaced in 2021 by a program introduced under the Biden administration called the Victim Engagement Service Line. It resumed last year when Trump returned to office.

ICE reported that the anniversary of the program’s revival coincided with multiple arrests on Wednesday of suspected undocumented immigrants with criminal convictions, including offenses related to child injury, assault, and robbery. The agency didn’t clarify whether these individuals were new arrests or transfers from local detention centers, nor did it disclose the dates of their convictions.

ICE has stated that its law enforcement officers are committed to targeting criminal aliens to protect American communities from violence. Lauren Biss, acting assistant secretary for public affairs at the Department of Homeland Security, emphasized the importance of these actions in a statement to Fox News. “With each arrest, ICE makes American communities safer,” Biss said, reiterating their commitment to justice for victims of crimes involving illegal immigrants.

The agency shared details about some individuals who were arrested but did not disclose the total number of arrests nationwide in this announcement.

Among those arrested, Juan Lorenzo Hurtado-Flores, originally from Peru, was convicted in White Plains, New York, for impeding breathing or blood circulation, along with child injury. Vu Nguyen from Vietnam was convicted of assault with a semi-automatic weapon in Pasadena, California. ICE also noted that Omar Alexander Rodriguez Grande, from El Salvador, was convicted of aggravated assault in Texas, and Oscar Francisco, born in Guatemala, faced similar charges in Florida. Josué Coas-Chavez, another Salvadoran national, was convicted of robbery in New York.

Last year, when the VOICE program’s reinstatement was announced, ICE Acting Director Todd Lyons expressed pride in the organization’s commitment to helping victims harmed by illegal aliens. He emphasized that the agency’s employees work diligently to enforce immigration laws and coordinate victim assistance efforts.

The VOICE program had been replaced by the Victim Engagement Service Line in 2021, a move intended to create a more comprehensive victim assistance system, which ensures that all victims can access services regardless of their immigration status. Former Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas highlighted this initiative as a reflection of core American values, ensuring that all individuals can receive victim services without fear.