Crime Survivor Services

On October 1, 2025, a coalition of 21 attorneys general filed a lawsuit in Rhode Island against the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to block new restrictions on federal funding that supports survivors of domestic violence and other violent crimes. The lawsuit challenges a rule barring states from using Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), Byrne Justice Assistance Grants (Byrne JAG), and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) grant funds to provide services to undocumented immigrants, or other individuals who cannot prove their status. We argue that DOJ’s new restrictions violate the Constitution’s Spending Clause by attaching retroactive and ambiguous conditions to grants that were already awarded, in some cases years ago. The coalition also asserts that DOJ acted in violation of the Administrative Procedure Act by failing to justify its reversal of decades-long policy and by ignoring the harm the rule will cause to survivors and service providers.

New York, et al v. Department of Justice