Justice Department to Solicit Up to $3.5 Billion in Immigration Grants

“Programs are shutting down. They're scaling back. Staff are being laid off," said Claire Selib, executive director of the National Organization for Victim Advocacy. A Justice Department official said the department is ensuring that all taxpayer-funded grant money supports initiatives to improve public safety, with discretionary funds subject to review and reallocation. The official added that grants not directly supporting law enforcement efforts have been terminated, and funds are being used consistent with congressional parameters.”

Some groups are still awaiting responses to appeals, while others have recently been denied. Delays in soliciting and awarding grants have been attributed by some to decreased staffing and additional review layers required by an executive order. For example, the Office of Justice Programs did not solicit fiscal 2025 applications for the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant until March 13, 2026, and the National Institute of Justice has solicited only three grants since President Trump took office.

Liz Ryan, who previously ran the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, said the department is neglecting regular responsibilities. Bill McKinney, who runs the New Kensington Community Development Corporation, reported that a $1.5 million grant for their CURE Violence program was canceled last year, with the appeal denied recently, leading to the program's expected closure by October.

The new grants draw primarily from a $3.5 billion allocation in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act for reimbursing states and law enforcement for immigration-related activities from 2021 to 2028. Additional funds from the act support Community Oriented Policing Services and Byrne JAG grants, beyond regular fiscal year 2026 appropriations.

These grants include restrictions, such as prohibiting use for violence prevention programs and requiring local agencies to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. Congress increased funding for Community Oriented Policing Services by 95% and for the Office of Justice Programs by 11%, but cut funding elsewhere, prompting transfers to cover shortfalls in immigration courts, prisons, and litigating offices.