Exclusive-US Justice Dept Grant Cuts Valued at $811 Million, People and Records Say

The U.S. Justice Department is terminating $811 million in grants, including some impacting victim service programs ranging from trauma centers and crisis hotlines to sign language interpretation and police training, according to internal documents and two sources.

The 365 competitive grants being terminated were valued at $811 million when awarded, a total reported exclusively by Reuters. These grants are typically paid out over three years, though it remains unclear how much money was left unspent at the time of the cuts.

The cuts affect awards managed by the Office of Justice Programs. As a measure of scope, the office received approval to award roughly $3 billion in total competitive grants in the 2024 fiscal year.

A Justice Department spokesman did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

President Donald Trump's administration is engaged in a wide-ranging campaign to slash the federal government that is taking particular aim at policies he opposes, including those that promote diversity, equity and inclusion and refugee resettlement. Accounts from federal workers and experts depict the effort as chaotic at times, with agencies in some cases laying off workers that they then need to rehire.

The Justice Department told Reuters on Wednesday it was discerning in how it selected which grants to cut, with Attorney General Pam Bondi saying it would "continue to ensure that services for victims are not impacted."

Following a Reuters report on funding cuts to a program for pet-friendly domestic violence shelters, the department restored aid for some recipients. These included one of the only Connecticut providers accepting pets across all its shelters, along with a service provider in Maryland.