Overview
- Judge Amit Mehta described the mid-cycle rescissions as “shameful” and warned they will harm communities vulnerable to crime.
- The Office of Justice Programs canceled over $800 million in April to refocus grants on law enforcement operations, violent crime response and support for trafficking and sexual assault victims.
- Five nonprofits filed the suit on May 21 seeking class status to represent more than 360 affected grant recipients and alleging due process and separation-of-powers violations.
- The Justice Department countered that the case is a routine contract dispute that belongs in the Court of Federal Claims rather than federal district court.
- Affected organizations have reported layoffs, program closures and lost partnerships, and plaintiffs are expected to pursue appeals despite the jurisdictional ruling.