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Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield confirmed yesterday that the coalition in the multi-state lawsuit against the Trump Administration’s illegal immigration enforcement conditions on Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) Grants won, after the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) backed down.
Oregon Wins VOCA Funding Lawsuit
Earlier this year, the Trump Administration attempted to impose illegal conditions on nearly $1.4 billion in Victims of Crimes Act (VOCA) grants, disregarding the clear letter of the law and intent of Congress.
The declaration meant that States would be unable to access VOCA funds – used to support victims and survivors of crimes – unless they assisted in federal immigration enforcement, a federal, not state, government responsibility.
Of the lawsuit, AG Rayfield stated, “This outcome ensures that critical support for victims and their families will continue here in Oregon.”
Enacted by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, VOCA, which was designed to support victims and not be used as leverage for unrelated political interests, enables States to provide critical resources and services to victims and survivors of crime as they attempt to restore normalcy in their lives.
The funding totals over a billion dollars a year nationwide. It includes the costs of victim and witness advocacy services, emergency shelter, medical, funeral, and burial expenses, crime scene cleanup, sexual assault forensic exams, and much more. Criminal fines—not taxpayer dollars, fund VOCA.
The Trump Administration’s actions, through the DOJ, meant that 146 victim service providers, who rely on VOCA grants, faced a loss of around $15 million in 2025 under these federal cuts.
The DOJ abandoned its plan to impose these conditions on $178 million in VOCA Victim Assistance Grants and $1.2 billion in VOCA Victim Compensation grants after the lawsuit was filed. These VOCA grants will now continue to be provided to states with no requirement that States assist DHS in immigration enforcement.
While this challenge is settled, Oregon is suing the DOJ over a new Rule cutting support for domestic violence and crime victims who cannot prove their status in a second, separate lawsuit filed last week.
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