By: Richard L. Smith
Millions of dollars used to support police departments, fight crime and fund public safety programs in New Jersey are at the center of a new legal battle with the federal government.
According to a statement released by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office, Attorney General Jennifer Davenport is co-leading a coalition of 22 attorneys general and Pennsylvania challenging immigration-enforcement conditions the Trump administration has placed on congressionally authorized public safety grants.
The coalition contends that states are being improperly pressured to comply with federal immigration-enforcement demands in order to access money intended for law enforcement, juvenile justice and crisis intervention programs.
Among the funding at issue is the Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant Program, one of the primary federal sources of criminal justice funding for state and local governments.
New Jersey law enforcement agencies received more than $21 million in Byrne JAG funding through the state from fiscal years 2019 through 2024, according to the Attorney General’s Office.
Davenport said the funding helps provide protective equipment for officers, combat drug trafficking, enforce Megan’s Law and assist authorities in locating violent criminals.
The lawsuit follows an earlier dispute involving Victims of Crime Act funding. A multistate coalition successfully challenged immigration-related conditions involving more than $1.3 billion in VOCA funds, which were subsequently removed.
The attorneys general argue that similar conditions have now been attached to additional U.S. Department of Justice grants and violate federal law and constitutional principles.
The coalition is asking the court to declare the conditions unlawful and permanently block their enforcement.