5/2/2025
“Over the past two weeks, the Administration in Washington, DC has continued to attack survivor communities – and the organizations that support them – in Massachusetts and across the country, including survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.
On April 22, the Department of Justice (DOJ) announced sweeping cuts – cancelling hundreds of grants supporting violence prevention efforts and services for survivors. The cuts impacted funding through the Office of Justice Programs (OJP), including programs administered by the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC). While some individual grants have since been restored thanks to the determined efforts of survivors and advocates, the cancellations affect a wide range of organizations in Massachusetts – including JDI partners and organizations that provide essential services for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.
The cuts from DOJ exacerbate an already deeply uncertain financial picture for survivor-serving organizations, many of which were already grappling with delays in promised funding, threats to a variety of essential programs, and even potential attacks on their nonprofit status. It is important to recognize that the full impact of these attacks is not always easy to immediately pinpoint or quantify. This Administration has been chaotic and capricious, but the cumulative effect of their actions – both implemented and threatened – have real consequences for survivors, advocates, and communities, leading to lost resources, anxiety, and fear.
That harm is further exacerbated by policy and rhetoric that exploit survivors and have a chilling effect on access to potentially life-saving services. Several members of the JDI Coalition and our partners are reporting that the Administration’s aggressive, indiscriminate targeting of immigrant communities have made immigrant survivors less willing to seek out services and safety for fear of being targeted. In the case of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, the Administration has attempted to use a previous protection order sought by Abrego Garcia’s wife, Jennifer Vasquez Sura, as justification for pursuing deportation and imprisonment without due process. Far from protecting survivors, the Administration’s intentional and dangerous exploitation of Vasquez Sura’s experience is generating greater fear and creating new barriers for immigrant survivors seeking help, who worry about the unintended consequences of reaching out – for themselves and their loved ones.
In the face of these challenges, it is critical survivors know that JDI Coalition members and our partners remain accessible and committed to the work of supporting survivors every day, including immigrant survivors, LGBTIA+ survivors, and those multiply impacted. Those in need of help can find more information on available resources here. JDI remains committed to supporting our member organizations, calling out attacks that threaten survivors and advocates, and working alongside our members, partners, and elected leaders in Massachusetts to protect our communities.”