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Justice Department Cuts $811 Million in Grants, Impacting Victim Services Nationwide

Nonprofits face immediate layoffs and service disruptions as most grants remain terminated, while selective reinstatements follow public backlash.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi.
The Justice Department announced that it is ending hundreds of grants across the country. Groundswell, formerly called the Orange County Human Relations council, will lose $400,000 in federal funding designated for hate crime prevention as a result.
(Photo by Cindy Yamanaka, Orange County Register/SCNG)

Overview

  • The DOJ terminated 365 grants worth $811 million, affecting hundreds of victim services and violence prevention programs across the U.S.
  • Organizations such as Activating Change and the Health Alliance for Violence Intervention report severe financial losses, with layoffs and halted services already underway.
  • Southern California and Bay Area nonprofits, including St. John’s Community Health and Oakland’s Youth Alive, face multi-million dollar funding cuts, threatening critical community safety efforts.
  • Attorney General Pamela Bondi defended the cuts as eliminating 'wasteful' spending, including programs for LGBTQ liaison services and gender-affirming care for incarcerated individuals.
  • Following public criticism, the DOJ reinstated some high-profile grants, but most remain canceled, prompting nonprofits to prepare legal challenges and adjust operations.