00:00Federal funds for crime victims are at the center of a legal battle.
00:04New Jersey and 21 other attorneys general are suing the Trump administration,
00:09saying more than $1 billion in grants is being withheld illegally
00:12because states won't help enforce immigration laws.
00:18In this case, the political pawns that they're using are victims of gun violence,
00:23victims of domestic violence, survivors of sexual assault,
00:27children who have been sexually abused.
00:30The lawsuit points to the Victims of Crime Act passed over 40 years ago
00:34to fix systemic failures in supporting crime survivors.
00:38Millions of people would not receive the benefit of the services that our law enforcement agencies
00:44provide in order to help them come forward and help us seek justice on their behalf.
00:51VOCA funds provide essential services from advocacy and emergency shelter
00:56to forensic exams, medical and funeral costs, and compensation for lost wages.
01:02The lawsuit says between 2021 and 2024, states used the funds to assist an average of 8.5 million
01:09crime victims and pay more than 200,000 claims each year.
01:13The coalition alleges the Department of Justice is tying crime victim funds
01:18to states' cooperation with immigration enforcement.
01:21The coalition says tying grants to immigration enforcement violates federalism and separation
01:27of powers, and Congress did not authorize the Justice Department to impose such conditions
01:32within the law.
01:33The lawsuit is co-led by the Attorneys General of New Jersey, California, Delaware, Illinois,
01:38and Rhode Island, with support from 16 other states and the District of Columbia.
01:43They want a federal judge to block the administration from withholding the funds.
01:47Find the full story right now by downloading the Straight Arrow News mobile app or go to san.com.
01:52For Straight Arrow News, I'm Kaylee Carey.
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