Crime Victims Grants

On August 18, 2025, a coalition of 21 attorneys general filed a lawsuit in Rhode Island against the Trump Administration over the imposition of illegal conditions on more than $1 billion in Congressionally-authorized funds for Victims of Crime Act grant recipients. We argue that this directive conflicts with core principles of American governance – the separation of powers and federalism. Congress did not authorize USDOJ to impose conditions on these grant programs that coerce states to devote their resources to enacting the Administration’s immigration agenda.