Exclusive: DOJ blocks use of justice grants for legal aid to migrants in US illegally, email shows

Source: Reuters

August 21, 2025 2:51 PM EDT Updated 2 hours ago


WASHINGTON, Aug 21 (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department this week ordered states, local governments and non-profits not to use existing federal grant funds to provide legal services to immigrants in the country illegally or who could face deportation, according to an email seen by Reuters and interviews with grantees.

The department's Office of Justice Programs issued that order in a Monday email to grantees, the same day that 21 Democratic-led states sued the DOJ for trying to impose conditions on upcoming fiscal year 2025 crime victim grant recipients, which would require them to cooperate with federal immigration authorities to be eligible to receive the funds.

That lawsuit challenges conditions that the DOJ is trying to impose on future grant awards, while the new spending restrictions apply retroactively to a variety of grants that were awarded during Democratic President Joe Biden's tenure, including grants that combat human-trafficking and to assist and compensate victims of crime, grantees familiar with the notices told Reuters.

In the email, the Justice Department says that no DOJ grant money may be used to pay for "legal services to any removable alien or any alien otherwise unlawfully present in the United States." It carves out exceptions for legal services related to obtaining protection orders for victims, or certain immigration legal services that are required by law or by a court order. Reuters could not immediately determine how many grants were affected by the new restrictions. Justice Department spokesperson did not have any immediate comment on the new restrictions.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/doj-blocks-use-justice-grants-legal-aid-migrants-us-illegally-email-shows-2025-08-21/