In a notable retreat by the Trump administration, the U.S. Department of Justice abandoned plans to tie nearly $1.4 billion in crime victim aid to states’ cooperation with immigration enforcement, following a legal challenge from a coalition of state attorneys general.
The move, announced by Rhode Island Attorney General Peter F. Neronha, marks a significant victory for states opposing the Trump administration’s attempt to leverage victim assistance funds for political purposes.
Faced with a multistate lawsuit, the Justice Department dropped its plan to impose what state officials called illegal conditions on Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants.
Established in 1984 under President Ronald Reagan, the VOCA program is a lifeline for victims and survivors of crime, funding critical services including victim advocacy, emergency shelter, medical and funeral expenses, and sexual assault forensic exams.
Nationwide, these funds assist nearly 9 million crime victims each year.
“Because of the action taken by this coalition, more than a billion dollars in federal grant funding for victims of crime has been secured,” Neronha said. “What does that tell us? The unlawful actions of this administration are being recognized as such by the courts, and they are losing these lawsuits. It also tells us that as all-powerful as this president would like you to believe he is, he’s still limited by the letter of the law and the separation of powers.”
The Trump administration had previously declared that states would be blocked from accessing these funds unless they assisted the Department of Homeland Security with civil immigration enforcement — a federal, not state, responsibility.
The coalition of attorneys general argued that the directive was a clear overreach of authority.
Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell called the attempt “both inhumane and unconstitutional.”
At the same time, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin, who helped lead the lawsuit, said the administration had “recklessly attempted to mistreat victims of crime.”
Despite the victory, the legal fight over the administration’s use of grant conditions is not over.
On Oct. 1, 2025, a separate coalition of 20 attorneys general, including Platkin, filed a new lawsuit challenging another DOJ rule that would bar states from using VOCA and other grant funds to provide services to undocumented immigrants.
That lawsuit, led by New York Attorney General Letitia James and Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul, argues that the new “Legal Services Condition” is unconstitutional and would harm public safety.
The coalition warns that requiring service providers to screen victims’ immigration status would force them to deny protection to families in crisis, silencing survivors and eroding trust between communities and law enforcement. The new restriction is scheduled to take effect Oct. 31, 2025.
For now, the preservation of more than $1 billion in victim aid underscores the role of state attorneys general as a check on federal power. As Neronha put it, “Today we celebrate the win, and tomorrow we continue the fight.”
The victory demonstrates that even a power-hungry tyrant can be compelled to back down when his actions conflict with the clear letter of the law, but Trump is still running amok on numerous fronts. He shows no sign of stopping such behavior simply to follow the law or abide by the Constitution.