Washington is joining 19 other states and the District of Columbia in suing President Donald Trump’s administration for forcing them to cooperate with immigration enforcement efforts in order to receive federal funding earmarked for crime victims.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in Rhode Island federal court, seeks to release more than $1 billion approved by Congress intended to go to survivors of violent crimes like rape and domestic violence under the Victims of Crime Act, also known as VOCA.
In Washington state, more than $34 million in funding for programs and compensation for victims for fiscal year 2025 is at risk of being withheld unless the state agrees to new immigration enforcement requirements, according to a statement from Attorney General Nick Brown’s office.
“Nothing is safe from the Trump administration’s political attacks—including funds to help people at their most vulnerable, after they’ve survived a crime,” Brown said.
The lawsuit is the latest legal challenge Brown has brought against the Trump administration, as it freezes millions in federal funding, dismantles government agencies and challenges constitutional rights. The state has already filed or joined more than two dozen suits against the federal government since Trump’s return to office.
Under new conditions issued by the U.S. Department of Justice in July for VOCA funding, states and recipients under state programs will not receive funding if they impede or hinder the enforcement of federal immigration law, such as failing to give immigration officials access to facilities.
The lawsuit asks the court to stop the Trump administration from enforcing the conditions, arguing the Justice Department is overstepping its statutory authority.
“Defendants’ brazen attempt to manipulate critical funding for crime victims to strong-arm States into supporting the Administration’s immigration policies runs headlong into two basic principles of American governance: separation of powers and federalism,” the complaint stated.
The Crime Victims Fund was established through VOCA, which President Ronald Reagan signed into law in 1984. Under the federal law, states can apply for funding to pay for victim compensation programs or cover services by local organizations that provide support like housing, therapy and more to crime victims.
Washington expected to receive more than $29 million to fund such support for fiscal year 2025, which ends in September, according to the attorney general’s office. That funding would go toward emergency shelters and mental health services, as well as organizations that provide resources to victims of domestic violence, sexual violence, human trafficking and child abuse. Losing the funds would likely mean cuts to those services.
Additionally, $4.8 million in benefits slated to go directly to victims of crimes is also at risk, according to the state attorney general’s office. That funding helps victims cover out-of-pocket expenses related to crimes, such as medical bills, rape kit tests, funeral costs, grief counseling and more.
“As Attorney General, public safety is one of my top priorities, and that includes ensuring the federal government makes good on its obligations to crime victims,” Brown said in a statement.
If federal VOCA funds suddenly become unavailable, the risk to victims and survivors will be immediate, said Kate Garvey, CEO of King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, in a statement.
When a victim of crime needs help, “the last thing they need is a long wait — or worse, a closed door,” she said.
Her organization, which is in part funded with federal VOCA dollars, serves about 4,500 survivors and their families annually, providing legal advocacy, counseling services and more.
“It can be a matter of life and death to a domestic violence survivor trying to exit abuse,” she said. “It might be the last time a survivor of sexual assault tries to get help if the message is ‘take a number, we’ll get back to you.’ ”
Not only are the immigration-related requirements not specified in the Victims of Crime Act, the lawsuit argues, but also they would undermine public safety efforts by creating a chilling effect among victims and witnesses who fear reporting crimes because of the possibility of deportation.
In some cases, victims of crimes eligible to receive assistance may be undocumented themselves, or have family members who are. King County Sexual Assault Resource Center, like most organizations assisting crime victims, does not track the immigration status of their clients.
“The last thing we need in terms of family stability, community well-being and public safety is for sexual assault survivors to fear the consequences of speaking out, Garvey said.
The lawsuit argues the immigration-related conditions force states into an “untenable position”: forfeit access to critical funds to support crime victims, or allow local law enforcement to cooperate with federal immigration officials and break the community trust needed to prevent and respond to crimes.
Washington passed the Keep Washington Working Act in 2019, which limits the ability of local law enforcement agencies to help federal officials arrest or deport undocumented immigrants. The law came under fire from members of Congress earlier this year.
Gov. Bob Ferguson has defended the state’s immigration policy in recent days amid threats of federal crackdowns on so-called sanctuary jurisdictions.
Material from The Seattle Times archives was used in this report.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
