Attorney General Anthony G. Brown has joined 17 other attorneys general in filing a multistate amicus brief opposing the U.S. Department of Justice’s cancellation of public safety program funding, supporting a lawsuit to block the cuts, which threaten over $20 million in grants to Maryland programs.
Per the news release distributed on Monday, June 9: “Attorney General Anthony G. Brown today joined a multistate amicus brief opposing the Trump administration’s illegal budget cuts to programs essential to public safety and in support of plaintiffs’ lawsuit to stop the cuts.
Building effective public safety systems requires engaging the people who experience crime and violence firsthand. Yet, two months ago, without warning and effective immediately, the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs canceled hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to programs that provide violence prevention, victim services, juvenile justice, mental and substance abuse prevention, child protection, reentry, policing, prosecution, and critical research.
“The Trump Administration’s decision to cancel hundreds of millions of dollars in critical funding for law enforcement, local governments, and community advocates is not just misguided—it’s a dangerous threat to public safety. In Maryland alone, that decision jeopardizes more than $20 million in public safety resources that support programs proven to reduce violence, provide services to victims, and help Marylanders successfully re-enter society after incarceration,” said Attorney General Brown. “I’m joining this effort to block these reckless and harmful cuts because Maryland cannot afford to reverse the progress we’ve made in driving down crime and rebuilding trust in our criminal legal system.”
Attorney General Brown joined 17 other attorneys general in filing the brief in a lawsuit against the DOJ challenging these illegal and arbitrary cuts. The lawsuit was brought by five community organizations on behalf of the hundreds of organizations impacted by the funding cuts.
Thirteen Maryland programs with grants totaling more than $20 million had their funding cut. Nationwide, the administration’s actions rescinded about $500 million in already approved grant funding that was yet to be disbursed. The administration eliminated programs that provide direct support to police and prosecutors, as well as other programs that complement law enforcement efforts.
Many of the canceled programs provide services that state and local governments are ill-equipped or unable to provide. Other terminated programs support victims as they recover from the worst days of their lives.
Plaintiffs in the case have requested a preliminary injunction. That motion is pending in the District Court for the District of Columbia.
In filing the amicus, Attorney General Brown joins the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maine, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Rhode Island, and Washington.”
