Overview

• The complaint, filed in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, asks the judge to enjoin the Office for Victims of Crime from enforcing the new grant terms.
• The contested conditions would cut VOCA funds if states deny ICE officers access to facilities, decline civil detainer requests, or withhold release-date notifications.
• Plaintiffs argue the policy violates the Spending Clause, anti‑commandeering principles, and the Administrative Procedure Act by exceeding DOJ’s authority.
• At stake is nearly $1.4 billion in FY2025 VOCA funding—sourced from criminal fines rather than taxes—that helps more than 8.5 million victims annually.
• The move stems from Attorney General Pam Bondi’s push targeting so‑called “sanctuary” jurisdictions, and follows a recent Rhode Island ruling pausing separate DOJ limits on Violence Against Women Act grants.