Days before a 2025 funding decision, Connecticut attorney general William Tong has joined a multi-state lawsuit against restrictions the Trump administration has placed on funding for victims of crime.
Connecticut is one of 21 states suing to stop the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) from withholding grants the state receives through the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA). The DOJ recently announced the availability of $15.9 million in funding for victims of crime through the Crime Victims Fund. The fund was created by VOCA when it became law in 1984. It is funded by fines levied against convictions of largely white-collar crimes. Funding, which is administered by states, can cover a variety of services, from financial support for medical bills to 24/7 hotlines for crime victims.
The DOJ’s funding announcement stated that programs or activities that “directly or indirectly” violate civil immigration law in part by failing to “give access to DHS agents, or honor DHS requests and provide requested notice to DHS agents” fall outside the program scope and will not receive funding.
But a number of states, including Connecticut, are crying foul as the bulk of money comes from formula grants.
In the past few years, Connecticut has received between roughly $8.5 and $15.6 million in victim assistance formula grants and between roughly $840,000 $1.3 million in victim assistance formula grants from the Crime Victims Fund. Funds are administered by the Judicial Branch’s Office of Victim Services. Eligible individuals can receive up to $15,000 for physical injuries, up to $5,000 for emotional injuries, and up to $25,000 in survivor benefits.
According to the DOJ, the state awarded roughly $23 million in victim assistance formula grants in 2024 and served 401,585 people. It also paid roughly $2.4 million in 885 claims through the victim compensation formula grant program.
Tong’s office said in a press release that the new immigration requirement threatens $14.5 million in funding for the state.
‘This directive conflicts with core principles of American governance – the separation of powers, and federalism. Congress did not authorize USDOJ to impose conditions on these grant programs that coerce States to devote their resources to enacting the Administration’s immigration agenda. As such, Attorney General Tong and the coalition are requesting that the Court permanently enjoin the Trump Administration from implementing or enforcing these illegal conditions.” a press release from Tong’s office announcing the lawsuit stated.
The lawsuit also claims that the move violates the separation of powers, as the Constitution does not give executive branch agencies the power to unilaterally withhold spending that Congress has authorized, except for in very specific conditions that do not apply here.
The immigration requirements, the lawsuit states, amount to “refusing to spend money that Congress intends to be used for crime victims” until the conditions the administration has imposed are met.
Connecticut was recently placed on a list of ‘sanctuary jurisdictions’ by the Trump administration, sparking a back-and-forth between attorney general Pam Bondi and Gov. Ned Lamont over what exactly that term means. Bondi has given the state until August 19 to confirm its ‘commitment’ to complying with federal immigration law and has threatened potential fines. While Bondi has not named the state’s so-called ‘sanctuary policies and practices,’ the federal government is presumably aiming at Connecticut’s Trust Act.
The law prevents state and local law enforcement from arresting someone solely because U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has issued a detainer, unless that person is wanted on terrorism charges or certain class A or B felonies. The legislature voted to expand and amend the Trust Act this year. Individuals can now sue towns that cooperate with ICE, in violation of the law. It also expanded the number of alleged crimes for which state law enforcement can cooperate with ICE.
Funding for victims of crimes has already faced shortfalls in recent years as VOCA funds have declined, leading victim advocates to worry about the suspension of services that rely on those dollars. The shortfall was temporarily made up with federal American Rescue Plan Act dollars, which have since expired. In 2018, the state received $36.45 million through VOCA. This year, it’s projected to receive a little more than half that.
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