The Justice Department faces a backlog of more than 170 appeals after canceling over 350 grants in April that were awarded under the Biden administration. Of 225 appeals filed, 17 were denied and 35 have been restored, but many organizations remain without decisions and have had to cut programs or lay off staff. The Office of Justice Programs had posted only 36 of 118 solicitations for FY2025, and DOJ indicated it used more than $100 million in grant funds for other departmental expenses.
DOJ Appeals Backlog Leaves Victim Services and Local Programs in Limbo After April Grant Cuts
FILE PHOTO: Shadows are cast on a sign at the Department of Justice building in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 23, 2025. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo
The U.S. Justice Department is confronting a growing backlog of appeals after abruptly canceling more than 350 grants in April — awards that had been made during the Biden administration and were typically paid over three years. A department spokesperson told Reuters that more than 170 appeals remain pending as organizations that provide victim services, community crime prevention and other public-safety programs wait for final decisions.
When the department informed grantees of the terminations in April, recipients were given 30 days to appeal. In total, grantees filed 225 challenges: 17 appeals were denied and 35 grants have been restored, some only after media reporting, the Justice Department said.
Justice Department Statement
"The Department is committed to fairly and thoroughly reviewing the materials submitted by grant recipients that appealed their terminations, and this multi-level review process takes time. Grantees are notified as soon as the Department reaches a final decision," said Natalie Baldassarre, a DOJ spokesperson.
Why the Cuts and Why They Matter
The April cuts targeted programs across a wide spectrum: community-based crime prevention run with local police and prosecutors, services for victims of crime and sexual violence, and support for mental health and substance-use treatment. Department officials argue the reductions were intended to realign funding with the Trump administration's priorities — placing greater emphasis on direct assistance to law enforcement and crime victims. Critics say the cuts and slow appeals process risk disrupting effective programs and making communities less safe.
"The DOJ cut off grant funding to organizations that were actively reducing violence, assisting victims and strengthening the justice system through expert technical assistance and research," said Amy Solomon, former assistant attorney general for the Office of Justice Programs. She warned that the cuts and delayed appeal resolutions "put life-saving services at risk and ultimately undermine the department's core public safety mission."
Months Without an Answer
Many organizations that appealed the terminations have waited for months without a final decision. In that interim, several groups have been forced to lay off staff, stop programs or cancel planned services.
For example, the National Organization for Victim Advocacy (Virginia) lost an $860,000 grant that funded 15 college students working in shelters and centers serving survivors of domestic and sexual violence. Executive Director Claire Ponder Selib said the group appealed in May and has not yet received a decision. "We had to shut down the whole program," she told Reuters, describing the impact on both students and frontline agencies.
Layoffs Even When Grants Are Restored
Delays have harmed organizations even when appeals are ultimately successful. In mid-December, the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators learned a $1.7 million, three-year grant would be reinstated, but the group had already laid off an employee because it could not cover her salary while waiting for the decision, Executive Director Jaime Yahner said. "I feel some survivor's guilt," she added.
The Justice Department has also fallen behind on its usual grant-making schedule. The Office of Justice Programs had posted only 36 solicitations out of 118 for fiscal year 2025 as of late September, according to an email reviewed by Reuters. A DOJ spokesperson said the department expects to publish the remaining solicitations soon.
Separately, earlier this year the department told Congress it planned to use more than $100 million in grant funds for other departmental expenses, including security upgrades at the main Justice Department building and costs tied to law-and-order initiatives in Washington, according to government records and a letter shared by Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.).
What This Means
The backlog of appeals and the broader disruption to DOJ grant activity have real consequences for communities and the organizations that serve them — from interrupted services for victims to fewer resources for local policing initiatives. As the department works through multi-level reviews, grantees and congressional oversight will be watching closely for both timely decisions and clarity on funding priorities.
(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch and Peter Eisler in Washington; Editing by Scott Malone and Matthew Lewis)
