During the presidency of former President Donald Trump, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), a federal law enforcement agency under the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), has established the Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) office.

President Joe Biden has vowed to close down the VOICE office, a decision he made after his inauguration. However, the Biden administration has yet to close the said office.

According to a Time report, the DHS plans to keep the VOICE office open. However, the department plans to rename it and refocus its work to serve the victims and witnesses better.

DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas told the Time that the name of the office was a "terrible misnomer." Mayorkas noted that the VOICE office would function the same as other law-enforcement agencies like the Justice Department's Office of Victim Services and victim assistance units in U.S. Attorney's offices in the country.

However, it's still unclear what the Biden administration has done so far to adjust the work of the VOICE office that collects crime data and personal stories through a toll-free hotline.

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The VOICE Office

Critics of the former president saw the VOICE office as a cynical stunt that contributed to his political base. It allegedly perpetuated a false idea that immigrants are more likely to commit crimes than U.S. citizens, according to an Associated Press report.

On the other hand, others saw the VOICE hotline for reporting neighbors, colleagues, or strangers they suspect entered the United States illegally.

Barbara Gonzalez, the former head of the VOICE office and a longtime civil servant with the ICE, earlier told The Associated Press that no matter what others say, they were there to help the victims.

Gonzales noted that the VOICE hotline is not involved in arresting and deporting people, adding that their efforts focus mainly on helping victims regardless of immigration status.

Gonzales also emphasized that callers were not asked about their status when they call the hotline. She added that before the VOICE hotline was created, crime victims have no access to a suspect's immigration status.

According to the DHS site, the VOICE office can help victims and witnesses of crimes; individuals with a legal responsibility to act on behalf of a victim; and people acting at the request of a victim or witness.

However, many critics are voicing their opposition to the establishment of the office. Angelica Salas, executive director of the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights, said that she thinks the whole premise of the office is racist.

Salas added that it uses the suffering and legitimate tragedy of the victims for a political goal.

DHS Defending Biden's Immigration Policy

Meanwhile, the DHS had brushed off Republican criticism about the current administration's immigration agenda. The department had also defended the decisions to process unaccompanied migrant children at the southern border, CBS News reported.

Sen. Mitt Romney said the policy decision encouraged the increase of migrant children traveling to the U.S. Alejandro Mayorkas responded by saying that they have taken immediate action concerning the unaccompanied children.

Democratic lawmakers also expressed concerns regarding the matter, saying it results in the voluntary separation of families.

Alejandro Mayorkas acknowledged the concern and said they had heard stories that some families self-separate to allow their children to enter the U.S.

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