Nevada Attorney General Aaron D. Ford has filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration, challenging new conditions placed on Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) grants. The lawsuit, joined by 21 other attorneys general, argues that the administration is unlawfully requiring states to support federal immigration enforcement efforts in order to access funds meant for victims and survivors of crime.
“President Trump is harming victims and survivors of crime in Nevada,” said AG Ford. "It is despicable that President Trump is using vital funding to play political games. He is putting victims and survivors of crime in even more precarious situations when what they deserve is help with regaining a sense of normalcy. They should not be used as pawns to score political points.”
The VOCA program was established in 1984 under President Ronald Reagan to provide states with resources for services such as victim advocacy, emergency shelter, medical expenses, and forensic exams for sexual assault cases. Each year, these grants distribute over a billion dollars nationwide, assisting nearly 9 million crime victims and providing compensation for more than 200,000 claims.
The lawsuit claims that the U.S. Department of Justice has declared states will be blocked from receiving these funds unless they assist the Department of Homeland Security with civil immigration enforcement—an area typically managed by the federal government rather than states.
According to the coalition led by AG Ford, Congress did not give DOJ authority to impose such requirements on grant programs or force states to implement federal immigration policy as a condition for funding. The group seeks a permanent injunction preventing the Trump administration from enforcing these conditions.
Attorneys general from California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Rhode Island, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin have joined Nevada in this legal action.