Attorney General Clark Joins Multistate Coalition to Protect Public Safety Funding

Today, Attorney General Clark joined a coalition of 22 attorneys general and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania in filing an updated and amended lawsuit over the illegal imposition of immigration-enforcement conditions on Congressionally-authorized public safety grants.

Last year, the Trump Administration, disregarding the clear letter of the law and intent of Congress, declared that states will be unable to access Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) funds unless they agree to the Administration's extreme immigration demands. The multistate coalition succeeded in getting the federal government to remove those conditions on over $1.3 billion of VOCA funds.

However, this year, the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ) has applied these illegal conditions to new grants, including funds dedicated to public safety and juvenile justice. Among the affected programs is the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Formula Grants (known as the Byrne JAG Program).

Civil immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility and not a state government responsibility. The Trump Administration's unlawful attempts to coerce states into facilitating civil immigration conflict with core principles of American governance - the separation of powers and federalism. The Administration's actions violate the Administrative Procedures Act and the Spending Clause of the U.S. Constitution in multiple ways.

As such, Attorney General Clark and the coalition are requesting that the court declare the Trump Administration's actions unlawful and permanently enjoin any implementation or enforcement of these illegal conditions.

Joining Attorney General Clark in this lawsuit are the attorneys general of California Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, Wisconsin, the District of Columbia, and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.