New York Attorney General Letitia James has announced that the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) will withdraw restrictions that would have limited access to services for survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, human trafficking, and other violent crimes. This development follows a lawsuit led by Attorney General James and joined by 20 other attorneys general. The legal action challenged new DOJ conditions that threatened to cut off critical legal services for survivors unable to immediately prove their immigration status.
The DOJ’s reversal means states’ Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Victim Assistance and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) funds will remain accessible regardless of a survivor’s immigration status. “Attacking survivors is despicable, and I am relieved that the federal government has backed down from this dangerous policy,” said Attorney General James. “People seeking protection from violence deserve our support, not sabotage. I want survivors to know that they can continue to rely on our courts for safety and justice, and that my office will always do everything in its power to defend their rights.”
For years, VAWA and VOCA programs have funded essential services such as legal representation for protective orders, custody issues, child support matters, housing assistance, relocation aid, and civil legal help for survivors aiming to escape abuse. These grants also support rape crisis centers across the country. Congress designed these programs so all eligible survivors could access them without regard to immigration status.
The coalition’s lawsuit was filed after the DOJ told states they could no longer use VAWA or VOCA funding for legal services benefiting undocumented immigrants—a policy affecting both future awards and previously issued grants. Attorneys general argued this requirement would place undue burdens on service providers who typically do not verify immigration status and could prevent many survivors—regardless of citizenship—from obtaining needed help due to lack of documentation.
With the DOJ agreeing not to apply these restrictions to any current VOCA or VAWA grant awards, the attorneys general are dismissing their lawsuit while retaining the option to refile if necessary. In New York alone, more than one million survivors and their families depended on VAWA- and VOCA-funded services last year.
Attorneys general from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, Rhode Island, Washington State and the District of Columbia joined Attorney General James in this effort.
