Feds tying crime victim aid to immigration enforcement
of ConsumerAffairsAugust 19, 2025
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Coalition of 21 states challenges DOJ for tying crime victim aid to immigration enforcement.
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VOCA funds at risk: Nearly $1.4 billion in grants could be withheld nationwide, including more than $212 million for New York.
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AG Letitia James: We will not be bullied into abandoning any of our residents.
New York Attorney General Letitia James joined 20 other attorneys general Tuesday in suing the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) over new conditions that would link federal crime victims funding to state cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
These grants were created to help survivors heal and recover, and we will fight to ensure they continue to serve that purpose, James said. New Yorkers deserve a justice system that puts their safety first. We will not be bullied into abandoning any of our residents.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, argues that the DOJ is illegally threatening to cut off grants under the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) unless states give Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) access to facilities, provide advance notice of inmate releases, and honor all civil immigration detainer requests.
Billions in aid at stake
Congress created VOCA more than 40 years ago to provide support for crime survivors through medical care, counseling, emergency shelter, lost wages, and funeral costs. The program is funded by fines and penalties from federal criminal cases, not taxpayer dollars.
In 2025, nearly $1.4 billion in VOCA funds are available to states, aiding about 10 million victims annually. In New York alone, more than $212 million supports over 250 community-based programs, including domestic violence shelters, rape crisis hotlines, child advocacy centers, and specialized services for seniors and people with disabilities.
Advocates warn that losing these funds would devastate services, forcing many programs to shut down or turn survivors away.
Constitutional challenge
The coalition argues that the DOJs new immigration-related conditions exceed its statutory authority, violate the Constitutions Spending Clause, and undermine state public safety policies designed to ensure immigrant communities feel safe reporting crimes.
Accepting these unlawful terms would destroy trust between immigrant communities and the legal system, the attorneys general contend in their complaint.
James was joined in the lawsuit by counterparts from California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, Wisconsin, and the District of Columbia.
The coalition is asking the court to block the DOJs conditions and preserve VOCA funding for victim services nationwide.
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