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The U.S. Department of Justice has begun slashing millions of dollars in federal grants to organizations that provide critical services for crime victims — only to reverse several of the cuts within 24 hours, creating confusion and panic among nonprofit providers nationwide.
The cuts, recommended by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) and implemented under Attorney General Pam Bondi, impacted hundreds of programs ranging from domestic violence shelters to national hotlines. At least some terminations were later rescinded following internal backlash and public outcry.
“We received a cancellation notice… and then 24 hours later, we got an email saying that the termination notice was rescinded,” said Jennifer Pollitt Hill, spokesperson for the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence. “All I can say is chaos, confusion and whiplash!”
Among the affected was Safe Futures, a Connecticut-based domestic violence shelter that received a grant termination email Tuesday evening. By Wednesday night, the notice was withdrawn.
“Our funding allows us to shelter victims with their pets, which is essential,” said Margaret Soussloff, COO of Safe Futures. “These animals are part of the family.”
Attorney General Bondi has reversed some of the grant cancellations, including the pet shelter support program. A DOJ official said, “Grants were meticulously reviewed to ensure that services to victims would not be impacted,” and organizations had a 30-day window to appeal if they could prove harm to victims.
However, observers questioned how a “meticulous review” could be followed by rapid reversals. A former DOJ official told NBC News the cuts were disruptive even if partially reversed: “Programs are forced to drop everything and scramble to prove what should have been evident if due diligence had been done.”
A list obtained by NBC shows that organizations such as the National Criminal Justice Association, the National Crime Victim Law Institute, and the National Center for Victims of Crime were all impacted. The latter warned that unless $2.8 million in funding was restored, the VictimConnect Resource Center, a 24/7 national hotline, would shut down.
“We’re shocked that an administration claiming to protect victims would cut off a lifeline for tens of thousands of survivors,” said Renée Williams, CEO of the center.
The DOGE-affiliated X account celebrated the move, posting, “Great work by @AGPamBondi @TheJusticeDept,” while Bondi herself wrote on X that the DOJ “has started cutting millions of dollars in wasteful grants.”
Despite the reversals, a bipartisan letter from House lawmakers urged Bondi to reconsider the broader implications. “This administration can’t claim to care about supporting victims, curbing violence, and reducing opioid deaths while slashing grants to the people doing the hard work,” said Stacey Young, a former DOJ official and co-founder of Justice Connection.
As the administration faces growing scrutiny, it remains unclear how many programs will ultimately lose funding — or how many more may receive their own 24-hour whiplash.
