RantCrush Top 5: April 27, 2017

The Trump administration yesterday opened a new office to support victims of crimes committed by undocumented immigrants. Dubbed Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (or VOICE), it will include a hotline for victims to call and ask about immigration enforcement policies and a notification system to update victims on the immigration status of perpetrators. Critics of the new office ask whether it’s necessary given research showing that immigrants are less likely than citizens to commit crimes.

Years of studies prove immigrants are less likely to commit crimes than US citizens. This is unnecessary. https://t.co/CS0YuJ873i

— GOOD (@good) April 27, 2017

Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly claimed that victims of crimes committed by immigrants are often ignored and that those crimes should never have happened in the first place, as the offenders were not supposed to be in the country. But DHS officials also suggested that the agency might focus on immigrants who do have the proper paperwork. Immigrant advocates immediately criticized the new agency, saying this is the latest step in an effort to demonize immigrants and instill fear in people.

Wouldn’t it be a shame if millions of people called this hotline to report their encounters with aliens of the UFO-variety. https://t.co/Cl048Gihnk

— Alexander McCoy (@AlexanderMcCoy4) April 26, 2017

Emma Von Zeipel

Emma Von Zeipel is a staff writer at Law Street Media. She is originally from one of the islands of Stockholm, Sweden. After working for Democratic Voice of Burma in Thailand, she ended up in New York City. She has a BA in journalism from Stockholm University and is passionate about human rights, good books, horses, and European chocolate. Contact Emma at EVonZeipel@LawStreetMedia.com.