Trump Administration Community Violence Intervention Cuts
In April, the Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs (DOJ OJP) illegally terminated millions of dollars in Community Violence Intervention (CVI) grants, saying CVI programs “no longer align with the administration’s priorities.”
In total, the DOJ cut over $800 million in public safety and justice grants pledged to more than 550 organizations in nearly all 50 states. Many of these grants funded programs that Congress created as part of the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
● The cuts have forced CVI organizations across the country to cut staff and turn away participants, putting lives and communities at risk. CVI strategies interrupt cycles of violence — they save lives, restore communities, and build pathways to long-term safety. That’s why CVI strategies are supported by police chiefs and bipartisan leaders across America.
● The Trump Administration’s CVI cuts are estimated to cost 18x more than they will save. According to a recent analysis, cuts to grants that supported direct CVI programming will cost Americans $3.2 billion — roughly 18x more than the federal government saved by cutting the grants. This includes the cost of every violent incident’s sky-high legal, policing, and incarceration expenses, and also social costs like increased fear and distrust.
● The cuts will increase violence — resulting in 700+ more Americans shot or killed. A recent analysis found that CVI cuts would result in up to 507 preventable non-fatal shootings and up to 253 preventable deaths.
● The cuts are not just dangerous, they’re illegal. Several CVI organizations from across the country filed a class action lawsuit against the DOJ to block the Trump Administration’s unlawful attempt to cut funding for CVI programs — laying out how the DOJ violated its own regulations, federal law, and the US constitution in cutting the grants. A major hearing on the DOJ funding cuts was held before District Court Judge Mehta on Thursday, June 26th in Washington, DC.
● Local governments, prosecuting attorneys, State Attorney Generals, and subgrantees all filed Amicus Briefs in support of the lawsuit. As state AGs said in their filing: “Defunding programs that police, prosecutors, mental health providers, researchers, victims, and community advocates rely upon does not make Americans safer.”
There is still significant uncertainty about CVI funding — both now and in the future. Not only did the Trump Administration illegally cut existing grants, it has also failed to issue a funding solicitation for future grants — something Congress mandated the DOJ do in the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.
The Community Violence Legal Network (CVLN) is a coalition of lawyers and advocates fighting to close the gap in the gun violence prevention movement through legal support for CVI organizations. CVLN immediately responded to the Administration’s CVI cuts, helping to develop legal theories and secure pro-bono counsel for grantees. For more information please contact us at info@cvlegalnetwork.org.
