Justice Department Cuts Grants For Crime Victims At DOGE’s Behest

Some of the hundreds of grants were mysteriously reinstated, but it’s unclear how many or why they were cut in the first place.

The Department of Justice on Wednesday cut millions of dollars in grants from nonprofits across the country that Attorney General Pam Bondi deemed “wasteful” at the recommendation of the Department of Government Efficiency.

Among the hundreds of programs cut, according to a partial list obtained by Reuters, were: grants that supported crime victims; hotlines used by crime victims; grants to fight human trafficking; programs to curb juvenile delinquency and safeguard incarcerated youth; and funding for state-run hate-crime reporting.

In an email to the Office of Justice Programs, the DOJ office that awards the majority of grants, the DOJ said it was terminating grants that “no longer effectuate the program goals or agency priorities.”

The memo instructed the office to shift its focus to “supporting certain law enforcement operations, combatting violent crime, protecting American children, and supporting American victims of trafficking and sexual assault, and better coordinating law enforcement efforts at all levels of government.”

That’s news to the National CASA/GAL Association for Children, a national nonprofit that supports court-appointed special advocates for abused and neglected children. The organization was among those that had its grants abruptly terminated.