New Jersey sues Trump administration over alleged illegal conditions on crime victim aid
Trenton, NJ — New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin is leading a coalition of 21 states in a federal lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing it of unlawfully threatening to withhold over $1 billion in federal aid meant for crime victims unless states comply with federal immigration enforcement directives.
Filed Monday, the lawsuit claims the Trump administration’s U.S. Department of Justice is attempting to impose new immigration-related conditions on grants issued under the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA)—a decades-old federal program that helps states deliver critical services to victims of violent crime, including forensic exams, funeral costs, emergency shelter, and trauma support.
Platkin called the policy “cruel” and “reckless,” asserting that victims of crimes are now being punished for their state’s refusal to support federal civil immigration enforcement.
The VOCA grants, created in 1984 under President Ronald Reagan, distribute over $1 billion annually to states through mandatory formulas set by Congress. The lawsuit argues that the Department of Justice cannot legally withhold the funds based on a state’s participation—or lack thereof—in unrelated federal immigration enforcement actions.
According to the complaint, the conditions demand that states assist the U.S. Department of Homeland Security with civil immigration efforts or risk being denied access to VOCA funds, which support an estimated 9 million crime victims nationwide each year.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court, asks for a permanent injunction to block the enforcement of these new conditions. The legal challenge cites violations of the separation of powers, federalism, and existing statutory law, claiming the Trump administration is overstepping its authority by leveraging victim aid funds to promote a political agenda.
The suit is co-led by Attorneys General from California, Delaware, Illinois, and Rhode Island and is joined by 16 additional states and the District of Columbia.
In New Jersey, the case is being managed by Solicitor General Jeremy Feigenbaum and a team of deputy and assistant attorneys general.
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Key Points
- New Jersey leads 21-state lawsuit challenging Trump administration’s conditions on crime victim aid
- Lawsuit alleges Department of Justice illegally tied VOCA grants to immigration enforcement
- States argue that conditions violate federal law and threaten over $1 billion in victim services funding
Victim aid hangs in the balance as states fight back against Trump-era immigration-linked grant rules.
