{"id":2032,"date":"2026-01-08T11:23:26","date_gmt":"2026-01-08T16:23:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/?p=2032"},"modified":"2026-01-11T11:06:28","modified_gmt":"2026-01-11T16:06:28","slug":"second-lawsuit-against-doj-for-crime-survivors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/digitaljournalism.uconn.edu\/balance-of-power\/2026\/01\/08\/second-lawsuit-against-doj-for-crime-survivors\/","title":{"rendered":"Second Lawsuit Against DOJ for Crime Survivors"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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Press Release:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Attor\u00adneys Gen\u00ader\u00adal Tong Files Sec\u00adond Law\u00adsuit Against DOJ to Pro\u00adtect Ser\u00advices for Crime Sur\u00advivors<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Preceding Event:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Recent\u00adly, the Depart\u00adment of Jus\u00adtice and its offices ded\u00adi\u00adcat\u00aded to crime vic\u00adtim and sur\u00advivor ser\u00advices have noti\u00adfied states of a post hoc con\u00addi\u00adtion which pro\u00adhibits some vic\u00adtim ser\u00advices and crim\u00adi\u00adnal jus\u00adtice funds from being used for immi\u00adgrants that are undoc\u00adu\u00adment\u00aded or oth\u00ader\u00adwise unable to prove their legal sta\u00adtus. \u201cThe funds at issue are award\u00aded by the Depart\u00adment of Jus\u00adtice (\u2018DOJ\u2019)\u2019s Office of Jus\u00adtice Pro\u00adgrams (\u2018OJP\u2019), through its Office for Vic\u00adtims of Crime (\u2018OVC\u2019) and Bureau of Jus\u00adtice Assis\u00adtance (\u2018BJA\u2019), and by DOJ\u2019s Office on Vio\u00adlence against Women (\u2018OVW\u2019), which over\u00adsee var\u00adi\u00adous fed\u00ader\u00adal grants pro\u00adgrams that pro\u00advide States with resources need\u00aded to devel\u00adop a full ecosys\u00adtem of pro\u00adgrams and ser\u00advices that sup\u00adport access to jus\u00adtice,\u201d the law\u00adsuit said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The plain\u00adtiffs state that the defen\u00addants have offered no expla\u00adna\u00adtion or jus\u00adti\u00adfi\u00adca\u00adtion for the impo\u00adsi\u00adtion of this new con\u00addi\u00adtion, nor have they clar\u00adi\u00adfied how this is to be done. The three funds at issue are Vic\u00adtims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds, Byrne Jus\u00adtice Assis\u00adtance Grants funds and Vio\u00adlence Against Women Act (VAWA) funds. \u201cThe grants fund ser\u00advices such as legal rep\u00adre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtion in fam\u00adi\u00adly court, relo\u00adca\u00adtion and hous\u00ading assis\u00adtance, com\u00adpen\u00adsa\u00adtion for med\u00adical bills and funer\u00adal costs, and oth\u00ader civ\u00adil legal ser\u00advices,\u201d accord\u00ading to the Oct. 3, 2025 press release.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

General Overview:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Accord\u00ading to the press release, \u201cAttor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal William Tong this week joined a coali\u00adtion of 20 attor\u00adneys gen\u00ader\u00adal in fil\u00ading a sec\u00adond law\u00adsuit against the U.S. Depart\u00adment of Jus\u00adtice (DOJ) to block new restric\u00adtions on fed\u00ader\u00adal fund\u00ading that sup\u00adports sur\u00advivors of domes\u00adtic vio\u00adlence and oth\u00ader vio\u00adlent crimes\u2026The law\u00adsuit fol\u00adlows a sim\u00adi\u00adlar chal\u00adlenge filed by the states on August 18 which sought to block the Depart\u00adment of Jus\u00adtice from defund\u00ading VOCA grants to states that did not com\u00adply with Trump\u2019s immi\u00adgra\u00adtion enforce\u00adment demands. The Trump Admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtion backed off that ini\u00adtial threat, but has now issued new arbi\u00adtrary and law\u00adless con\u00addi\u00adtions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this week\u2019s law\u00adsuit, Attor\u00adney Gen\u00ader\u00adal Tong and the coali\u00adtion argue that DOJ\u2019s new restric\u00adtions vio\u00adlate the Constitution\u2019s Spend\u00ading Clause by attach\u00ading retroac\u00adtive and ambigu\u00adous con\u00addi\u00adtions to grants that were already award\u00aded, in some cas\u00ades years ago. The attor\u00adneys gen\u00ader\u00adal also assert that DOJ act\u00aded in vio\u00adla\u00adtion of the Admin\u00adis\u00adtra\u00adtive Pro\u00adce\u00addure Act by fail\u00ading to jus\u00adti\u00adfy its rever\u00adsal of decades-long pol\u00adi\u00adcy and by ignor\u00ading the harm the rule will cause to sur\u00advivors and ser\u00advice providers.\u201d Last\u00adly, the suit states, \u201cwith respect to VAWA and VOCA Vic\u00adtim Assis\u00adtance, the Legal Ser\u00advices Con\u00addi\u00adtion is con\u00adtrary to law because it is in direct con\u00adflict with gov\u00adern\u00ading reg\u00adu\u00adla\u00adtions pro\u00advid\u00ading that eli\u00adgi\u00adbil\u00adi\u00adty for ser\u00advices \u201cis not depen\u00addent on the victim\u2019s immi\u00adgra\u00adtion sta\u00adtus.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Connecticut Nexus:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Accord\u00ading to the release, \u201cTrump\u2019s actions threat\u00aden $14.5 mil\u00adlion in fund\u00ading to Con\u00adnecti\u00adcut alone. Funds are used for sex\u00adu\u00adal assault exams, crime scene clean-up, and emer\u00adgency shel\u00adters for wit\u00adness\u00ades and sur\u00advivors, among oth\u00ader crit\u00adi\u00adcal pur\u00adpos\u00ades.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Date of filing:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Oct. 1, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case #:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

1:25-cv-00499<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Case title:<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

State of New York et al v. Unit\u00aded States Depart\u00adment of Jus\u00adtice et al<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Plaintiffs:<\/strong> 20 states and D.C.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n