A coalition of 21 Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia sued the Justice Department on Aug. 18, accusing the federal government of illegally tying federal crime victim funds to cooperation with immigration enforcement.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Rhode Island on Aug. 18, challenges conditions the Justice Department placed this summer on the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), which provides more than $1 billion each year to states for services such as domestic violence shelters, funeral expenses, trauma counseling, and crime scene cleanup.
