Delaware’s Attorney General Kathy Jennings scores a federal court win, along with 22 other attorneys general.
Last week a federal judge in Rhode Island sided with the group, saying the largely Democrat-led states should not have to fall in line with DOJ federal immigration enforcement agenda to access millions of dollars in grant money for criminal justice initiatives.
Jennings co-led this suit, the latest in a list of more than 60 suits Delaware has joined during President Trump’s second term. Jennings spoke on the importance of participating in group AG challenges during her campaign for her third term for the seat this fall.
"(Trump) keeps threatening to cut off our funding over and over again for unlawful reasons, and we keep suing him," she said. " ...and we've we've saved the state a billion dollars in federal funding that is still coming into Delaware."
The DOJ requirements included that grant recipients give the federal government access to people in state custody who could be undocumented– and states should tell the DOJ if any of these people are released from jail.
Jennings's office said in a release that the victory protects more than $485,000 for Delaware under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act.
This is money the state’s used in the past for Deinstitutionalization of Status Offenders, Delinquency Prevention, and law enforcement planning and administration.
The win also guards more than $686 thousand in funds that come from the Byrne State Crisis Intervention Program. This money is used to support Delaware’s specialized courts for drugs, mental health, and veterans.
It also protects the state's access to federal money under the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act– which would support more than $480 thousand in funding for Delaware justice programs.
