This month (June 2019), the Illinois’ Voices of Immigrant Communities Empowering Survivors (VOICES) Act will take effect. The VOICES act requires that law enforcement officers respond to certification requests necessary for U-Visa and T-Visa applications within 90 business days. The act further states that the head of certifying law enforcement agencies must designate an official to respond to certification requests. This designated official must also make information on the agency’s certification procedures readily available for the public to see. The VOICES act will provide Illinois’ survivors of violent crimes and human trafficking uniform access to the resources they need to apply for a lawful immigration status. The passage of this act marks a notable improvement to the treatment of survivors within Illinois immigration policy.
