Attorney General Aaron M. Frey announced an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) that will prevent new restrictions from being placed on services funded by the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) and the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA). These programs support survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Last month, Attorney General Frey and attorneys general from 20 other states filed a lawsuit against the DOJ after it introduced new conditions that would have limited access to critical legal services for survivors who could not immediately provide proof of their immigration status. The DOJ has now agreed to a binding resolution, ensuring that these restrictions will not be applied to state-administered VOCA Victim Assistance and VAWA funds. Survivors can continue accessing these supports regardless of their immigration status.
“Programming funded by VOCA and VAWA support survivors in some of their most vulnerable and traumatic moments,” said Attorney General Frey. “Using these funds to further a cruel, inhumane, immigration policy was unconscionable, and I am deeply relieved that my colleagues and I could hold the Administration to account to ensure these funds go to survivors as intended.”
The VAWA and VOCA programs have provided funding for decades to help states offer services such as legal representation for protective orders, custody issues, child support, housing assistance, relocation aid, and civil legal help. These grants also support rape crisis centers. Congress designed these programs so all eligible survivors can seek help without fear or barriers related to immigration status.
In October, the coalition sued after DOJ told states they could no longer use VAWA or VOCA money for legal services for undocumented immigrants—a restriction that would have affected both future grants and those already issued. The attorneys general argued this requirement would place heavy burdens on service providers who do not typically verify immigration status and could put survivors at risk if they were forced to prove their status before getting help.
With the DOJ’s agreement not to apply the restriction to any current grant awards under VOCA or VAWA, Attorney General Frey and his colleagues are dismissing their lawsuit but retaining the right to refile if similar restrictions are attempted in the future.
Other states joining Maine in this stipulation include Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Rhode Island, Washington, and the District of Columbia.
