Twenty Democratic-led states and the District of Columbia sued the U.S. Department of Justice on Monday in federal court in Rhode Island, seeking to block a new Trump administration policy that conditions crime-victim assistance grants on state cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. The policy affects funding distributed under the Victims of Crime Act, a program that channels fines and penalties from federal criminal cases to help pay for medical care, counselling, shelter and lost wages for about 10 million victims a year. Nearly $1.4 billion is available nationwide for fiscal 2025, and the plaintiff states say they are entitled to roughly $675 million of that total; Illinois alone estimates it could forfeit about $54 million if the rule stands. Under the contested guidance, states risk losing funds unless they grant U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement broad access to facilities and honor civil immigration requests. The attorneys general argue the requirement violates the Constitution’s spending clause and separation-of-powers principles because Congress did not tie VOCA funds to immigration enforcement. They are asking the court for an injunction before grant applications are due on Aug. 20. The Justice Department declined to comment.