A coalition of Democratic-led states sued the Trump administration Monday over its bid to condition federal funding for crime victims on cooperation with immigration enforcement.
The lawsuit claims the Office for Victims of Crime, housed within the Justice Department, established a policy barring access to Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds unless the states go along with President Trump’s efforts to crack down on immigration.
The conditions, the Democratic states say, are “unprecedented.”
“The challenged conditions would force these States into an untenable position: either forfeit access to critical resources for vulnerable crime victims and their families, or accept unlawful conditions, allowing the federal government to conscript state and local officials to enforce federal immigration law and destroying trust between law enforcement and immigrant communities that is critical to preventing and responding to crime,” their complaint reads.
VOCA was enacted by Congress in 1984 to boost support for crime victims and survivors, providing them with resources and services spanning emergency shelter and forensic exams to medical, funeral and burial services.
This year, those funding streams have totaled more than a billion dollars, the attorneys general said, aiding states in their “fundamental duty” to protect public safety and assist crime victims.
In 2024, a total of nearly $83 million in Victim Compensation Formula Grant funds were allocated to the 20 Democratic-led states and Washington, D.C., that sued. Since 2021, the federal VOCA funds have assisted on average more than 8.5 million victims annually, according to the suit.
Now, the states could lose out on that funding if they reject immigration enforcement requests — a move in line with Attorney General Pam Bondi’s policy that “sanctuary jurisdictions” should not receive federal funds if they don’t cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The states asked a judge to block the administration from enforcing the new policy, claiming it is stepping on Congress’s power of the purse by placing conditions on the funds.
“In enacting these grant programs, Congress’s focus was crystal clear: the funds must be used to help victims,” the complaint reads. “Indeed, Congress mandated the distribution of nearly all VOCA funds to States based on fixed statutory formulas.
“Yet the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), an agency housed within the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ) that is charged with administering VOCA grants, has now declared that States will be unable to access VOCA funds unless they accede to the Executive Branch’s immigration enforcement priorities,” it continues.
The Hill reached out to the Justice Department for comment.
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