Attorney General Kwame Raoul has recently succeeded in protecting essential services for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence, following an agreement with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Raoul led a coalition against the DOJ over new restrictions that could have severely impacted survivors who are unable to immediately prove their immigration status. This agreement ensures that such restrictions will not be applied to Victim of Crime Act (VOCA) and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) services, as reported by the Illinois Attorney General's Office.
In the lawsuit, initiated last month by a coalition of 21 attorneys general, the DOJ was challenged on conditions that threatened to disrupt critical legal services by cutting off aid to undocumented survivors. The binding resolution struck today reverses the DOJ's stance, allowing these survivors to continue accessing support. "It is a relief that survivors of crime will not have to worry about losing critical services because of a harmful Department of Justice immigration restriction," Raoul said, as stated in the announcement from his office.
For many years, programs under VAWA and VOCA have supported survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and other heinous crimes by providing crucial assistance, including legal aid, housing support, and services through rape crisis centers. The importance of these services is underlined by their design, which Congress intended to help every eligible survivor, with no discrimination based on immigration status.
The push by the DOJ to implement a "Legal Services Condition," which would retrospectively affect grants, some established for many years, would have forced aid providers to verify immigration status, a requirement that not only burdens these agencies but also puts survivors at risk. The coalition's legal actions have effectively made the DOJ retract this condition and confirmed that it will not be applied to current VOCA Victim Assistance or VAWA awards. Raoul and his colleagues are prepared to take further action, having voluntarily dismissed their lawsuit without prejudice, enabling them to possibly refile if this unlawful restriction is attempted to be revived.
This instance stands as the most recent achievement in Raoul's ongoing efforts to maintain public safety and oppose federal actions that imperil Illinois residents. In several past instances, including fights against machine-gun conversion devices and threats to withhold federal emergency funding, Raoul's actions have enforced legal precedents benefiting his state and beyond. The group joining Raoul in this resolution includes attorneys general from numerous states, reaffirming their commitment to the rights and protection of all survivors within their jurisdictions. The full list of participants was provided in the original announcement from the Illinois Attorney General's office.
