April 23, 2025
I have not yet heard from any NYS Council members who might be impacted by this latest cancellation although I’m not sure how many of our members knew about it before today. Apparently notices were sent to grant recipient organizations yesterday. All this to say, if you need me please feel free to reach out at 518 461-8200. We are always here to help you in any way we can.
DOJ cancels grants for gun-violence and addiction prevention, victim advocacy
By Perry Stein, Tom Jackman and Jeremy Roebuck, Washington Post, 4/22/25
The Justice Department on Tuesday canceled hundreds of grants to community organizations and local governments, including funding for gun-violence prevention programs, crime-victim advocacy and efforts to combat opioid addiction, according to an email obtained by The Washington Post.
Maureen Henneberg, the acting head of the Office of Justice Programs, which oversees the Justice Department grant program, told staff in the email that the canceled awards were identified through a weeks-long review process and did not align with the Trump administration’s priorities.
The grants sent millions of dollars to organizations across the country, including some that support intervention programs for nonviolent youth offenders; programs to avert opioid-related deaths in Newark; programs aimed at identifying community-based approaches to preventing hate crimes against Arab, Jewish and Asian Americans; and a confidential hotline run by the National Center for Victims of Crime to inform crime victims about their rights.
The Boston-based Community Resources for Justice, for example, lost $37 million spread over several grants. Some of those funds were used to provide crime data analysis and other services to local governments, according to government grant data. The organization did not respond to requests for comment Tuesday evening.
Administrators of the affected programs received termination notices Tuesday and were ordered to cease all grant-funded operations. Their access to already allocated funds was also cut off, according to an email sent to one grant recipient that was obtained by The Post.
The Office of Justice Programs typically distributes grants over a three-year cycle. The cancellation notices came midway through the cycle, potentially creating massive funding shortfalls for these programs. The notice reviewed by The Post said program administrators would have 30 days to appeal the Justice Department’s decision.
It is not unusual for different presidential administrations to award grants based on their political priorities. But it is unusual for an administration to rescind a grant after it has already been awarded, effectively reneging on the government’s pledge to fund a program for a certain number of years.
The canceled grants represent a relatively small portion of the more than $2 billion that the Office of Justice Programs distributes to organizations annually. Some of that money is used by nonprofit groups to develop community programs, while other funds go toward local government entities. Individual grant awards can range from thousands of dollars to millions, and a grant can make up sizable amounts of a local organization’s income stream.
Multiple people familiar with the office’s operations, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the ongoing process of grant reviews, said they feared more cuts could be coming.
“This Department of Justice is focused on prosecuting criminals, getting illegal drugs off of the streets, and protecting American institutions from toxic DEI and sanctuary city policies,” Chad Gilmartin, a Justice Department spokesperson, said in a statement Wednesday, referring to diversity, equity and inclusion programs, as well as cities with a policy of protecting illegal immigrants and not cooperating with federal authorities to deport them.
“Discretionary funds that are no longer aligned with the administration’s priorities are subject to review and reallocation, ” he said.
Henneberg, in her memo, said the money would soon be reallocated to better support Trump administration priorities, including “combatting violent crime,” “protecting victims of trafficking and sexual assault” and “protecting American children.”
Many of the grants rescinded Tuesday involved efforts to quell gun violence through violence intervention programs, which are focused on identifying and providing resources to people considered likely to commit or be victims of violent crimes.
In 2022, Congress approved the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, which included new gun restrictions and $250 million for the Justice Department to distribute over five years to community intervention programs.
The Biden administration embraced these efforts. Attorney General Merrick Garland hosted a conference that year for nearly 50 local violence prevention groups that received funding through the Justice Department.
Under President Donald Trump, the Justice Department has also revoked $5 million in federal grants to the Vera Institute of Justice, a nonprofit organization that advocates for lower incarceration rates. The institute’s leaders said the Justice Department funding was to develop programs related to reducing recidivism rates and supporting victims of violent crime. The organization is appealing that decision.