Chapter 17.3: Post-Assault Healthcare and Crime Victim Compensation for Immigrant Victims of Violence (July 13, 2018) [pdf]

Chapter in Empowering Survivors: Legal Rights of Immigrant Victims of Sexual Assault. Under federal crime victim compensation laws states provide health care assistance to crime victims that includes health care funded by the Victims of Crime Act Compensation Act (VOCA). How health care for crime victims is funded, what health care services are covered, how victims apply, and which crime victims are covered varies state by state. In all but one state VOCA funded crime victim compensation is open to all victims without regard to immigration status. Alabama severely restricts the numbers of immigrant victims who can access VOCA funded crime victims compensation based on the immigration status of the victim at the time the crime victimization occurred. This chapter includes two sets of state by state charts that briefly, and in detail, summarize the provisions available by state to immigrant victims of sexual assault and other violent crimes, as well as the victim compensation laws and processes to receive compensation for each state, DC, Puerto Rico, and Guam.