By Sarah N. Lynch and Peter Eisler
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The U.S. Justice Department is terminating $811 million in grants, including some impacting victim service programs ranging from trauma centers and crisis hotlines to sign language interpretation and police training, according to internal documents and two sources.
The 365 competitive grants being terminated were valued at $811 million when awarded, a total reported exclusively by Reuters. These grants are typically paid out over three years, though it remains unclear how much money was left unspent at the time of the cuts.
The cuts affect awards managed by the Office of Justice Programs. As a measure of scope, the office received approval to award roughly $3 billion in total competitive grants in the 2024 fiscal year.
A Justice Department spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
President Donald Trump’s administration is engaged in a wide-ranging campaign to slash the federal government that is taking particular aim at policies he opposes, including those that promote diversity, equity and inclusion and refugee resettlement. Accounts from federal workers and experts depict the effort as chaotic at times, with agencies in some cases laying off workers that they then need to rehire.
The Justice Department told Reuters on Wednesday it was discerning in how it selected which grants to cut, with Attorney General Pam Bondi saying it would “continue to ensure that services for victims are not impacted.”
Following a Reuters report on funding cuts to a program for pet-friendly domestic violence shelters, the department restored aid for some recipients. These included one of the only Connecticut providers accepting pets across all its shelters, along with a service provider in Maryland.
“Attorney General Bondi personally extends her appreciation to the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence for its steadfast commitment to domestic violence survivors and the professionals who support them,” wrote Deputy Assistant Attorney General Maureen Henneberg in an email seen by Reuters that was sent on Wednesday night to the group, rescinding the termination of the grant.
A review of the cuts to grant programs from the Office for Victims of Crime shows that many provided a mix of direct and indirect assistance for domestic violence and trafficking victims.
Activating Change, a nonprofit that supports domestic violence victims with disabilities, lost five federal grants totaling more than $2 million, said Executive Director Nancy Smith.
One of those paid for American Sign Language interpretation services for domestic violence victims, while another trains police on how to investigate trafficking crimes against people with disabilities.
Another recipient that lost funding is the Central Iowa Trauma Recovery Center, which received support from Republican Senator Charles Grassley.
Of the $811 million in total cuts, about $77.3 million comes from grants offered by the Office for Victims of Crime, according to a source familiar with the matter.
DOJ cut roughly $535 million to programs from the Bureau of Justice Assistance, which funds programs to support many local police departments and correctional facilities.
The federal agency cut about $136 million from the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, and terminated nearly $59 million in research grants funded by the National Institute of Justice.
(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch and Peter Eisler; Editing by Scott Malone and Lisa Shumaker)
Comments