Judge Bars Trump From Withholding VAWA Grants to 24-Plus Groups Over Policy Conditions
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Sep 29
Judge Bars Trump From Withholding VAWA Grants to 24-Plus Groups Over Policy Conditions
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Sep 29
Summary
A Rhode Island federal judge ruled the Justice Department unlawfully withheld Violence Against Women Act grants from more than two dozen domestic violence and sexual assault groups and permanently blocked the conditions.
In a 10-page decision, Judge Melissa DuBose said the administration tried to coerce grantees with vague, arbitrary terms, including bans on serving undocumented people and promoting what it called gender ideology.
DuBose said the overhaul ignored the fallout for nonprofits that depend on the money and risked exposing them to False Claims Act fraud penalties if officials later deemed them noncompliant.
The grants support shelters, crisis response and legal aid under the 1994 law, which has provided more than $10 billion and was most recently reauthorized by Congress in 2022.
The ruling also tests a broader Trump strategy of tying federal money across programs—from law enforcement to disaster relief—to compliance with administration priorities on diversity, immigration and elections.