“Coloradans know that politicizing support for crime victims is wrong,” Polis said. “The Trump administration’s decision to withhold these funds is cruel and makes our communities less safe.”<\/p>\n

The U.S. Justice Department has declared that states will not be able to access Victims of Crime Act funding unless they agree to support the administration’s immigration enforcement.<\/p>\n

Colorado is one of 20 states that have joined together in suing<\/a> over these restrictions on the funding, calling it in their lawsuit “unprecedented conditions.”<\/p>\n

The Victims of Crime Act<\/a> was first enacted in 1984. Administered by the U.S. Department of Justice, the grants help fund a wide variety of programs including victim and witness advocacy services, emergency shelter, crime scene cleanup, sexual assault forensic exams, and medical, funeral and burial expenses.<\/p>\n

In 2024, Colorado’s Office for Victims Programs received over $21 million in funding from Victims of Crime Acts grants. Funding is distributed to states based on fixed statutory formulas.<\/p>\n

Polis said Colorado will continue to fight for the restoration of the funding.<\/p>\n

“This federal funding should go toward helping survivors heal and get a fresh start,” Polis said. “Colorado will stand up for survivors and fight to ensure that every victim has access to the resources needed to recover.”<\/p>\n

Colorado House Majority Leader Monica Duran, D-Wheat Ridge, joined Polis in pushing back.<\/p>\n

“As a domestic violence survivor, I know how life-saving these services are,” Duran said. “For Colorado families in crisis, VOCA funds mean having a safe place to sleep, access to counseling, or support navigating the justice system. It is unconscionable to use survivors as pawns in a political fight over immigration.”<\/p>\n

She added that the Colorado legislature will work to protect services from being impacted by this federal funding pause.<\/p>\n

Under the Trump administration’s conditions, to continue receiving the funding, Colorado must comply with immigration efforts by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.<\/p>\n

Currently Colorado and its capital city Denver have been under scrutiny for their so -called sanctuary city policies<\/a>, which limits their cooperation with federal immigration authorities.<\/p>\n

CRIME IN US CITIES AS TRUMP AIMS TO EXPAND CRACKDOWN: LATEST COVERAGE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

The U.S. Department of Justice recently released a list<\/a> of “states, cities, and counties identified as having policies, laws, or regulations that impede enforcement of federal immigration laws.”<\/p>\n

Colorado and Denver were both on that list.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n