President Donald Trump’s administration this week cut federal funding for several groups that assist the victims of violent crimes and promote public safety because they do not align with the Department of Justice's “goals or agency priorities,” according to a memo obtained by CBS News.
The Office of Justice Programs, a division of the DOJ, wrote a memo to several nonprofit organizations focused on safety and helping the victims of crimes, including the National Center for Victims of Crime, informing them that their federal grant awards would be “terminated” because that funding "no longer effectuates the program goals or agency priorities.”
It adds, "The use of award funds will not be allowed for obligations incurred, or expenditures made, after receipt of this notice, other than pursuant to closeout responsibilities.”
"We're shocked that an administration that claims to care about protecting victims would leave so many vulnerable Americans without access to an essential lifeline," said Renée Williams, CEO of the National Center for Victims of Crime.
“Unless promptly reversed, this careless decision will result in the immediate closure of the Victim Connect Resource Center, a 100% federally funded national hotline that has served tens of thousands of crime survivors since 2015, including more than 16,000 in the last year alone,” the group said in a statement.
The organization’s executive director, Joseph Griffin, described the decision as a “devastating blow” for the victims of violent crimes in a statement to CBS News.
"We're not just responding to violence — we're stopping it before it starts, supporting survivors in the aftermath, and walking with families through their deepest pain. When someone is shot in Oakland, we show up. Without this support, survivors will be left alone to languish in hospital beds with no roadmap to recovery — just pain, fear, and retaliation," Griffin said.
The Justice Department did not respond to requests for comment by time of publication, but Attorney General Pam Bondi did celebrate the cutting of “millions of dollars in wasteful grants” in a social media post on Wednesday.
Theodore Bunker ✉
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.