Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.
The Department of Justice logo is shown on a podium during a news conference, Sept. 30, 2010, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Matt Slocum, File)
A deaf mother trying to escape her abusive husband came to a domestic violence shelter seeking help, but she couldn't communicate fluently with American Sign Language.
Shelter workers contacted Activating Change, a group that can provide sign language interpreters who are trained to help people experiencing trauma. Over the course of the year in the shelter, the woman worked with the interpreter to file for divorce, gain custody of her children, heal with therapy, and find a job and housing.
"Our superpower is adaptability, and having access to services like Activating Change allows us to have that," said Marjie George, developmental director at the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Services shelter.
Activating Change, which helps people with disabilities navigate the criminal justice system, was one of hundreds of organizations that received a notice on April 22 that the Department of Justice was canceling grants they had received through the Office of Justice Programs. More than 350 grants initially worth more than $800 million were ended midstream, sparking layoffs and program closures.
The disabilities nonprofit had to lay off nearly half its 26 workers after the government canceled $3 million in direct grants, about $1 million of which had already been spent, and ended pass-through grants from other organizations.
Amy Solomon, former assistant attorney general who oversaw the Office of Justice Programs and now a senior fellow at the Council on Criminal Justice, said the cuts touched on every aspect of the department's portfolio.
"This is highly unusual," Solomon said. "You expect any administration to have their own priorities, and to implement that in future budget years and with future awards. You would not expect... grants that have already been granted, obligated or awarded to be pulled back."
The Office of Justice Programs typically awards nearly $4 billion in grants annually.
It was unclear how much money it would take back since some of the rescinded grants were initially awarded as far back as 2021. Grantees were locked out of the financial system a few days before they were due to be reimbursed for already completed work.
How the Justice Department planned to reallocate whatever money is returned was also unclear. Some came from dedicated pots of funding, including from the Victims of Crime Act, which collects fines and penalties in federal cases for programs serving crime victims.
A department spokesperson did not respond to questions about the cuts.
The cancellation notices noted that grant holders had 30 days to appeal. As of Friday, the department had reversed course on a handful of grants, restoring some funding.
The cancellation letters obtained by The Associated Press explained the cuts by saying the department had changed its priorities to focus on "more directly supporting certain law enforcement operations, combatting violent crime, protecting American children, and supporting American victims of trafficking and sexual assault."
But advocates, researchers and leaders in criminal justice said