(Photo: Screen capture)
President Donald Trump drew audible gasps from the assembled Congressional members as he announced that he had asked Homeland Security to create an office called VOICE: Victims Of Immigration Crime Engagement.
It was hinted earlier in the day that VOICE would work with ICE as a liaison with "known victims of crimes committed by removable aliens," presumably to highlight specific crimes when immigrants were involved.
While some Congressional members gasped, those following Trump's speech and commenting on Twitter noted that VOICE would be used as a propaganda tool to whip up anti-immigrant hysteria, with one person noting this is "how genocides begin."
Read the tweets below:
"I have ordered [DHS] to create an office to serve American victims. The office is called 'VOICE': Victims Of Immig… https://t.co/zoiHrbi9TO— CBS News (@CBS News) 1488336908.0
What genius in the West Wing came up with the Gotham Cityesque agency called VOICE? Gonna go ahead and guess it was… https://t.co/LAzYI3WFgk— Joy WE VOTED!! WEAR A MASK!! Reid 😷) (@Joy WE VOTED!! WEAR A MASK!! Reid 😷)) 1488337144.0
VOICE could not sound more sinister. Like something @warrenellis would come up with after some bad clams. #JointSession— Patton Oswalt (@Patton Oswalt) 1488337121.0
With the creation of #VOICE , Trump continues his nativist demonization of the immigrant community. Dangerous. Baseless. Shameful.— León Krauze (@León Krauze) 1488336772.0
Wow VOICE is racist propaganda and how genocides begin. #Jointsession— Tina Dupuy (@Tina Dupuy) 1488336954.0
Trump's VOICE is a foul way to vilify immigrants as criminals; an ext of his slur against Mexicans as rapists & murderers. #JointAddress— David Leopold 🇺🇸 (@David Leopold 🇺🇸) 1488336870.0
Who TF is supporting VOICE? What makes the crimes committed against them any worst then those committed by Americans?...#JointAddress— Jean-Carlo Palacios (@Jean-Carlo Palacios) 1488336948.0
VOICE is so racist and un-American. Disgusting and shameful. Democrats better attack that "task force" #JointAddress— PayingAttention (@PayingAttention) 1488337898.0
@samsteinhp I'm not a liberal, but I think the speech was full of promises without a plan. Offended by VOICE. All victims need advocates.— DesignFinds (@DesignFinds) 1488337889.0
So Trump now saying victims of crimes committed by natural born citizens are not as important as those by immigrants cause, u know, hate.— Kurt "Masks Save Lives" Eichenwald (@Kurt "Masks Save Lives" Eichenwald) 1488338665.0
Victims of Immigrant Crime Engagement- VOICE is a slap in the face to anyone killed by anyone in this country who was ignored #Trumpaddress— Resist & Desist (@Resist & Desist) 1488337884.0
