Tennessee Ends Funding for Legal Clinics Serving Immigrant Crime Victims

Strategic Insights -

Catholic Charities of East Tennessee has relied on federal funding to provide legal aid to victims of elder abuse, domestic violence, and child sexual and physical abuse for nearly a decade. However, the Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs informed the nonprofit that it could no longer receive public crime victim funding if the crime victims being served were also immigrants. This directive is part of a broader trend of restrictions on federal funding for victim services imposed by the Trump administration, which has resulted in significant barriers to aid for immigrant crime victims.

Key Takeaways:

  • The Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs has informed Catholic Charities of East Tennessee that it can no longer receive public crime victim funding if the crime victims being served are also immigrants.
  • The Department of Justice's Office of Victims of Crime has announced that states and nonprofits receiving federal victim grants must agree to support and assist in federal immigration enforcement, including granting entry to their facilities.
  • A coalition of 20 Democratic-led states has filed suit challenging the restrictions on federal funding for victim services imposed by the Trump administration.
  • Nonprofits in Tennessee, such as the Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, have been forced to shut down legal clinics that helped immigrant survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking access visas.
  • A survey conducted by the Alliance for Immigrant Survivors found that half of the advocates and attorneys who responded reported that immigrant crime victims opted not to contact police or show up to court out of fear of being swept up.
  • The Nashville police department has not entered into any agreement with the federal government to enforce immigration laws, but officers have reported an increase in residents' concerns about immigration enforcement.

Statistics:

  • Collectively, Tennessee nonprofits have served more than 95,000 victims annually.
  • Half of the advocates and attorneys who responded to a survey by the Alliance for Immigrant Survivors reported that immigrant crime victims opted not to contact police or show up to court out of fear of being swept up.
  • About 200 people were detained during mass traffic stops conducted by the Tennessee Highway Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Nashville's heavily immigrant south side.
  • The Tennessee Department of Safety & Homeland Security has entered into an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Sources:

  • "Tennessee ends funding for legal clinic serving immigrant crime victims" -- Tennessee Lookout
  • "[DOJ Memo](https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/doj-blocks-use-justice-grants-legal-aid-migrants-us-illegally-email-shows-2025-08-21/)"
  • "[Survey: Immigrants increasingly hesitant to report crimes](https://static1.squarespace.com/static/5b9f1d48da02bc44473c36f1/t/6851e1903a67be6191523f91/1750196624790/AIS_Insights-from-Advocates-for-Immigrant+Surv)"