Headline Roundup • April 25th, 2025
Justice Department Cuts $811 Million in Grants
Summary from the AllSides News Team
The Department of Justice (DOJ) has cut 365 competitive grants valued at $811 million under the advisement of the Department of Government Efficiency, according to a new report from Reuters (Center bias).
The Details: The cuts impacted “victim service programs ranging from trauma centers and sign language interpretation for domestic violence victims to police training.” Reuters first highlighted the grant cuts on Thursday, then a DOJ spokesperson reached out and said that seven of the victims services grants had been restored, including one supporting the only pet-friendly domestic violence shelter in Maryland. Attorney General Pam Bondi said she would “continue to ensure that services for victims are not impacted.” Any organization that lost funding has 30 days to appeal.
The Cuts: Grants were cut for services that support American Sign Language interpretation for domestic violence victims and train police on how to investigate human trafficking of disabled victims, according to Reuters. The Washington Times (Lean Right) highlighted the department's statement that domestic violence and opioid victims would not have grants slashed, naming grant cuts that affected organizations focused on systemic racism and feminist causes.
How The Media Covered It: Headlines on the left highlighted that the grants served crime victims. The Times called them “DEI-related,” and The Daily Caller (Right) said they were for “Restorative Justice [and] ‘Toxic’ Masculinity Programs.” Outlets on the right also noted that organizations could appeal. The DOJ said the cuts underwent meticulous review. NBC News (Lean Left) said, “It wasn’t immediately clear how a 'meticulous review' was consistent with grant cuts being reversed within 24 hours.”
Written by the AllSides staff (of humans). Learn more. Support our mission. Suggest an improvement to this summary.
Featured Coverage of this Story
Acting on recommendations from the Department of Government Efficiency, the Justice Department is cutting grants to hundreds of programs across the country that provide services to crime victims, according to a former DOJ official familiar with the matter and documents obtained by NBC News.
Attorney General Pam Bondi has reversed some of the cuts, the former official and a current Justice Department official said. One restored cut was for a program that provided funds to domestic violence shelters so that they can accommodate the pets of victims.
AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana
The Justice Department announced Thursday it cut more than 360 grants to work with the Department of Government Efficiency, removing millions of dollars that went toward diversity victims and feminist organizations.
The grants out of the Justice Department go to state entities like police departments and prisons.
Attorney General Pam Bondi reviewed thousands of grants to eliminate those that don’t align with President Trump’s goal of targeting criminals and addressing the nation’s drug epidemic.
The U.S. Justice Department is terminating $811 million in grants, including some impacting victim service programs ranging from trauma centers and sign language interpretation for domestic violence victims to police training, according to internal documents and two sources.
The 365 competitive grants being terminated were valued at $811 million when awarded, a total reported exclusively by Reuters. These grants are typically paid out over three years, though it remains unclear how much money was left unspent at the time of the cuts.
AllSides Picks
Red Blue Translator
Drug Legalization
Red Blue Translator
Capital Punishment/Death Penalty
Headline Roundup
British Teen's Death Sparks Protests, Split Media Narratives on Race and Policing
June 4th, 2026
