In a bold move to protect vulnerable crime victims, California Attorney General Rob Bonta is leading a powerful coalition of 21 attorneys general in a lawsuit challenging the Trump Administration’s latest attempt to weaponize federal funding.

The lawsuit targets a deeply problematic policy by the Office for Victims of Crime that would block states from accessing critical Victims of Crime Act funds unless they cooperate with federal immigration enforcement activities. For California, this means potentially losing over $165 million in grants that support crucial victim services across 35 state programs.

These threatened programs are lifelines for survivors, including the California Department of Justice’s Victim’s Services Unit, Victim Witness Assistance Centers, and the Domestic Violence Assistance Program. These services provide essential support like emergency shelter, counseling, court escorts, and trauma-informed responses for survivors of sexual assault, hate crimes, domestic violence, and other traumatic experiences.

Bonta didn’t mince words, calling out the administration’s tactics as “inhumane” and “bullying”. He emphasized that only Congress has the constitutional authority to condition these funds, making the Trump Administration’s actions not just morally reprehensible, but potentially illegal.

The lawsuit, filed in the United States District Court in Rhode Island, seeks a declaratory judgment to remove these unconstitutional conditions. It’s part of a broader pattern of legal resistance, with California having already successfully challenged 17 out of 19 Trump Administration actions in court.

Other attorneys general joining the lawsuit echoed Bonta’s concerns. Delaware’s Attorney General Kathy Jennings argued that these restrictions would actually empower criminals by discouraging victims from coming forward, while Rhode Island’s Peter Neronha condemned the move as consistent with “authoritarian government”.

As the deadline for these grants approaches, the lawsuit represents a critical stand against using victim support funds as a political weapon, prioritizing human dignity and survivor support over punitive immigration enforcement.