Overview
- State attorneys general said the Department of Justice rescinded the requirements on October 3, and previously held funds have begun to flow again to programs.
- The discarded policy would have conditioned grants on allowing ICE access to jails, providing advance release notifications, and honoring civil immigration detainers.
- Twenty states and the District of Columbia sued in federal court in Rhode Island, arguing the DOJ lacked authority to impose immigration-related grant conditions.
- VOCA is funded by federal fines, not taxes, distributes over $1 billion annually, and supports about 75% of state victim compensation plus shelters, counseling and forensic testing.
- Officials including Matthew J. Platkin and Andrea Joy Campbell said roughly $1.4 billion was unlocked, while the case remains on the docket and the policy debate continues.