Attorney General Tong Statement in Response to U.S. Department of Justice Threat to Defund Police
Press Releases
02/06/2025
Attorney General Tong Statement in Response to U.S. Department of Justice Threat to Defund Police
(Hartford, CT) – Attorney General William Tong released the following statement regarding the directive issued by U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to “pause the distribution of all funds” to jurisdictions who do not let the federal government unlawfully commandeer local law enforcement resources for federal immigration enforcement.“This is yet another attempt by the Trump administration to defund police and distract local law enforcement from serious public safety threats, including gun violence, reckless driving, domestic violence and the opioid epidemic. We are in federal court in Rhode Island and have already obtained a temporary restraining order blocking the Trump administration’s lawless funding freezes. We are reviewing this directive and watching for any impact to our states. We will not hesitate to act should the Trump administration move to defund our states in violation of the court order,” said Attorney General Tong.
The directive revives a failed federal policy attempted during the first Trump Administration that resulted in $6.4 million in funding being illegally withheld from local police in Connecticut through Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants.
Connecticut joined six other states led by New York in suing the U.S. Department of Justice in 2018 arguing that the Trump Administration’s immigration-related conditions on Byrne-JAG grants interfered with the rights of states and localities to set their own law enforcement policies. After appellate proceedings going up to the U.S. Supreme Court, the Biden DOJ agreed to remove the challenged conditions, allowing Connecticut and the other plaintiffs in the suit to access their withheld grant funds.
- Twitter: @AGWilliamTong
- Facebook: CT Attorney General
Media Contact:
Elizabeth Benton
elizabeth.benton@ct.gov
Consumer Inquiries:
860-808-5318
attorney.general@ct.gov
Distribution channels:
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
Submit your press release