Press Release  AG Campbell Sues Trump Administration For Illegal Conditions On Victims of Crime Act Grants

BOSTON — Massachusetts Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell today joined a coalition of 21 attorneys general in suing the Trump Administration over the illegal imposition of conditions on congressionally-authorized Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants. The Trump Administration, disregarding the clear letter of the law and intent of Congress, has declared that states will be unable to access these funds – used to support victims and survivors of crimes – unless they agree to support the Trump Administration’s extreme immigration enforcement efforts. 

“Victims and survivors of crime deserve support as they navigate their trauma and work to get back on their feet,” said AG Campbell. “The Trump Administration’s attempt to make this support conditional is as cruel as it is illegal. We’ll continue to hold the federal government accountable for actions that violate the law and harm vulnerable residents.” 

VOCA was enacted in 1984 by President Ronald Reagan, creating a series of grant programs to enable states to provide critical resources and services to victims and survivors of crime as they try to restore normalcy in their lives. Such services include victim and witness advocacy services; emergency shelter; medical, funeral, and burial expenses; crime scene cleanup; sexual assault forensic exams; and much more. These funding streams—totaling more than a billion dollars a year nationwide—have long provided states with critical resources to protect public safety and redress harm to their residents. States use these funds to assist nearly 9 million crime victims per year and to provide compensation for more than 200,000 victims’ claims per year.  

In Fiscal Year 2024, Massachusetts used VOCA funding to provide more than $3.5 million in compensation payments to 825 claimants and nearly $21 million in grant awards to nearly 70 victim services organizations, serving more than 44,000 victims of crime. Already in Fiscal Year 2025, $4.20 million in compensation payments have been made to 804 claimants, and nearly $17.6 million has been spent to support grant awards to 95 victim service organizations, serving over 32,000 victims of crime. 

Congress has required the distribution of nearly all VOCA funding to states based on fixed statutory formulas and has repeatedly acted to ensure sufficient funding for crime victims, including after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. 

However, the Trump Administration, through the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ), has declared that states, along with the victims and survivors they serve, will be blocked from these funds unless they comply with the Administration’s political agenda, namely its immigration enforcement priorities. In order to receive these funds, states must assist the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with civil immigration enforcement efforts – a federal, not state government responsibility.  

This directive conflicts with core principles of American governance: the separation of powers, and federalism. Congress did not authorize USDOJ to impose conditions on these grant programs that coerce states to devote their resources to enacting the Administration’s immigration agenda. As such, AG Campbell and the coalition are requesting that the Court permanently enjoin the Trump Administration from implementing or enforcing these illegal conditions. 

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

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