Attorney General Kwame Raoul has reached an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to prevent the application of new restrictions on Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) services that support survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.
Last month, Raoul co-led a group of 20 attorneys general in a lawsuit against the DOJ. The suit challenged new conditions that would have cut off legal services for survivors unable to immediately prove their immigration status. Following this legal action, the DOJ agreed to reverse its position and entered into a binding resolution. This guarantees that federal restrictions will not be applied to VOCA Victim Assistance and VAWA funds, allowing survivors continued access to services regardless of immigration status.
“It is a relief that survivors of crime will not have to worry about losing critical services because of a harmful Department of Justice immigration restriction,” Raoul said. “I will continue to work to protect federal funding for programs that survivors of violent crimes rely upon to help them recover from the physical and emotional trauma they have endured.”
For many years, VAWA and VOCA grants have supported states in assisting victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, human trafficking, and other crimes. These funds provide legal representation, help with protective orders, custody matters, housing assistance, and support rape crisis centers.
The DOJ’s proposed “Legal Services Condition” would have barred use of these funds for undocumented immigrants and applied retroactively to past grants. Attorneys general argued this would create serious burdens for service providers who do not verify immigration status and could put survivors at risk by forcing them to prove their status before receiving help.
As a result of the lawsuit, the DOJ agreed not to apply these restrictions to current VOCA or VAWA awards. The attorneys general are now dismissing their lawsuit without prejudice but retain the option to refile if similar restrictions are attempted again.
This agreement is part of ongoing efforts by Attorney General Raoul aimed at protecting public safety and challenging federal actions he considers unlawful or harmful for Illinois residents. In previous months, Raoul was involved in lawsuits resulting in exemptions from firearm device distributions and protection against withholding emergency funding from states based on political compliance.
Other attorneys general joining this agreement include those from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Vermont, Rhode Island and Washington.
