Press Release  AG Campbell Secures Agreement Preventing Unlawful Restrictions On Critical Services For Sexual Assault And Domestic Violence Survivors

Boston — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell today secured an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), ensuring DOJ will not apply alarming restrictions to critical Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) services that support survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. Last month, AG Campbell and a coalition of 20 other attorneys general sued DOJ over unlawful conditions that threatened to cut off critical legal services for survivors based on their immigration status. As a result of the lawsuit, DOJ reversed course and today agreed to a binding resolution guaranteeing the federal government will not apply the restrictions to states’ VOCA Victim Assistance and VAWA funds, ensuring that survivors can continue to rely on these crucial supports, regardless of immigration status.  

“Faced with our lawsuit, the federal government has rightly decided to drop their cruel and unlawful restrictions on essential services that help victims of violent crime navigate their trauma and get back on their feet,” said AG Campbell. “Our support for survivors should be unconditional, and I will continue fighting to hold the Trump Administration accountable for actions that harm vulnerable residents.”   

For decades, the VAWA and VOCA programs have enabled states to support survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and other violent crimes. These grants fund services such as legal representation for protective orders, custody and visitation matters, child support, housing and relocation assistance, and civil legal assistance that helps survivors escape abuse and rebuild their lives. VAWA also funds rape crisis centers that provide urgent support to victims of sexual assault. Congress deliberately designed these programs to reach every eligible survivor, regardless of immigration status, because public safety depends on ensuring that all victims can seek help, report crimes, and rebuild their lives without fear.  

In October, the coalition filed a lawsuit after DOJ informed states that they could no longer use VAWA or VOCA funding to provide legal services to undocumented immigrants. The new “Legal Services Condition” applied not only to future awards, but also to grants that had already been issued, some dating back years. The attorneys general warned that the restriction would impose severe burdens on service providers, who do not verify immigration status, and that forcing survivors to produce proof of status before receiving help would be dangerous and potentially impossible.  

As a result of the attorneys generals’ lawsuit, DOJ has now agreed that the challenged restriction cannot and will not be applied to any current VOCA Victim Assistance or VAWA grant awards. Based on this binding stipulation, AG Campbell and the coalition are voluntarily dismissing their lawsuit without prejudice, preserving the ability to refile if DOJ attempts to revive this unlawful restriction in the future.  

This agreement follows another multistate victory in a separate lawsuit against DOJ, which dropped its plan to impose further illegal conditions on nearly $1.4 billion in VOCA Victim Compensation and Victim Assistance grants following a lawsuit brought by AG Campbell and 20 other attorneys general.  

Joining AG Campbell in this stipulation are the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Rhode Island, Washington, and the District of Columbia.  

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