Overview

• The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Rhode Island, seeks an injunction barring DOJ from conditioning VOCA grants on notifying ICE of release dates, granting federal access to facilities, or applying civil immigration laws.
• The plaintiff roster spans 20 states and Washington, D.C., with Nevada joining after the administration republished a sanctuary‑jurisdictions list; Attorney General Pam Bondi pledged continued litigation against such policies, and DOJ has not commented.
• The complaint argues the conditions are unauthorized by the Victims of Crime Act and violate constitutional and administrative limits on federal power.
• VOCA provides more than $1 billion annually from federal fines and penalties, covering roughly 75% of state victim‑compensation payments and supporting services such as rape‑kit testing and domestic‑violence recovery.
• Nevada officials reported $24 million in VOCA funds supported 58 organizations serving nearly 57,000 people in FY2024, illustrating what states say could be jeopardized.