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

The Justice Department is preparing to solicit applications for up to $3.5 billion in grants focused mainly on immigration-related law enforcement programs, equipment, and personnel, according to multiple sources familiar with the plans who spoke to CBS News.

These grants will cover the construction of immigration detention facilities, the purchase of police surveillance equipment, and the hiring of law enforcement personnel. Some funds will also enable the Justice Department to pay local prosecutors to serve as temporary special assistant U.S. attorneys for the new National Fraud Enforcement Division, which investigates fraud involving public benefits.

A $300 million solicitation for funding local prosecutors to investigate fraud by individuals living in the country illegally was posted on Tuesday evening, following inquiries from CBS News. This development occurs amid delays and terminations in other Justice Department grant programs, including those for victims services, criminal justice research, and juvenile justice.

The Justice Department is transferring millions of dollars from grants that support victims services, hate crime prevention, and substance abuse programs to fund other non-grant activities, sources with direct knowledge told CBS News. Congress has imposed limits on such transfers, but the department has approved a $75 million transfer earlier this year and notified Congress of potential additional transfers up to $95.8 million by year's end.

Claire Selib, executive director of the National Organization for Victim Advocacy, stated that terminations and delays in funding have led to programs shutting down, scaling back, and laying off staff. Her organization faced a grant cancellation last year and delays in three other applications for six months.

“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.