A coalition of 20 states and Washington, D.C. is challenging the Justice Department's proposal to withhold federal funds for crime victims. The legal action, initiated in a Rhode Island court, aims to stop funding cuts to states that reject immigration enforcement collaboration. The lawsuit claims such conditions breach constitutional authority and contradict the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). Officials argue these actions would deter crime reporting among victims fearing deportation. VOCA funding, which is crucial for victim assistance programs, originates from court case penalties, not taxpayers.
The lawsuit filed Monday in Rhode Island federal court seeks to block the Justice Department from enforcing conditions that would cut funding to a state or subgrantee if it refuses to honor civil immigration enforcement requests.
The lawsuit also argues that the requirements are not permitted or outlined in the Victims of Crime Act, known as VOCA, and would interfere with policies created to ensure victims and witnesses report crimes without fear of deportation.
New Jersey Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said that the administration's threat to withhold funds is the most heinous act he's seen in politics, emphasizing that these crime victims share a common trait of suffering unimaginable trauma.
VOCA funding comes entirely from fines and penalties in federal court cases, not from tax dollars, and provides more than a billion dollars annually to states for victims compensation programs.
#immigration-enforcement #victims-of-crime-act #legal-lawsuit #state-attorneys-general #federal-funding
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