A coalition of Democratic-led states sued the Trump administration on Monday, accusing it of hijacking federal crime victim funding in a bid to pressure states into assisting with immigration enforcement.
The lawsuit, filed by 20 states and Washington, D.C., claims the Justice Department has illegally tied access to Victims of Crime Act funds to cooperation with President Donald Trump’s deportation crackdown—a move the states describe as “unprecedented.” All involved states have Democratic attorneys general.
“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,” the complaint states.
At stake is nearly $1.2 billion in VOCA funding this year. Attorneys general from California, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, and other states argue that the money supports millions of people annually—covering emergency shelters, forensic exams, funeral costs, and mental health counseling.
Without it, they warn, programs for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other crimes could be gutted or shut down entirely.
“This brazen attempt to use funding that supports our most vulnerable residents to strong-arm California and states nationwide into doing the federal government’s job for it, is blatantly beyond the power of the President,” said California Attorney General Rob Bonta.
Congress created VOCA in 1984 to help crime victims—not to shape immigration policy. Nearly all VOCA funds must be distributed to states through fixed statutory formulas, limiting the executive branch’s discretion. Yet under Trump, the Justice Department’s Office for Victims of Crime has told states they cannot access the funds unless they align with his deportation agenda.
Democratic attorneys general argue this is a power grab—an end run around Congress’ control of federal spending.
“In enacting these grant programs, Congress’s focus was crystal clear: the funds must be used to help victims,” their complaint states. “Yet the Office for Victims of Crime … has now declared that States will be unable to access VOCA funds unless they accede to the Executive Branch’s immigration enforcement priorities.”
The states are asking a federal judge to block the administration from enforcing the policy, which they call both unconstitutional and dangerous.
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It’s the latest chapter in Trump’s months-long clash with Democratic-led states over immigration. Since returning to the White House in January, he has made dismantling state and local “sanctuary” protection of immigrants a top priority, framing them as threats to public safety. His vengeance-seeking Justice Department, led by Attorney General Pam Bondi, has already targeted cities like Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York in lawsuits aimed at stripping away those protections.
However, the attorneys general argue that what Trump is doing now crosses a new line. By putting VOCA funding at risk, he’s threatening shelters, hotlines, and counseling services that survivors of violent crime depend on. They warn that it would deepen mistrust between immigrant communities and local police, making neighborhoods less safe.
The move also follows a familiar pattern for Trump: penalizing states for resisting deportation efforts, even as that system has slowed due to administrative delays and court challenges. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, meanwhile, faces public backlash over its unlawful raids and detention practices.
Trump has repeatedly tried to use federal dollars as leverage against blue states and cities, from threatening to withhold law enforcement grants to blocking disaster relief. His latest cynical ploy makes crime victims the target of his pettiness.
That’s what makes this fight especially cynical. Trump talks about being tough on crime, but his Justice Department is now dangling crime victim funds as leverage in a battle over immigration. It’s another reminder of his governing style: vindictive and willing to punish the vulnerable for political gain.
