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State of California Department of Justice
Rob Bonta
Attorney General
Attorney General
SACRAMENTO – In response to devastating public safety funding cuts by the Trump Administration, California Attorney General Rob Bonta, GIFFORDS Center for Violence Intervention, Assemblymember Mike Gipson, and Senator Jesse Arreguín today came together to urge the Administration to reverse course and honor federal funding commitments to community violence intervention programs. President Trump and the U.S. Department of Justice, under the direction of U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi, have terminated $811 million in essential federal grants for victim services and crime prevention across the country. This reduction in funding has severely impacted Community Violence Intervention (CVI) programs, hindering initiatives to address gun violence, stopping the vital support of at-risk youth, and preventing victims from obtaining necessary recovery support.
“The Trump Administration is recklessly disregarding the safety of the people it is sworn to serve with the termination of programs that heal and protect survivors of violence,” said Attorney General Rob Bonta. “The Trump Administration's cuts threaten California’s—and the nation’s—progress against violent crime and make all of us less safe. If the Administration truly cared about public safety, it wouldn’t cut programs that are saving lives today. The cancellation of CVI funding is a profound setback for violence prevention efforts nationwide. We urge the Administration to reinstate these vital grants and for lawmakers to continue to invest in lifesaving violence prevention and victim care.”
"The Trump Administration is pulling the plug on lifesaving programs across the country, including so many here in California,” said Mike McLively, Policy Director at GIFFORDS Center for Violence Intervention. “These cuts dismantle years of strategic, bipartisan investment in public safety and will cost people their lives. We are incredibly grateful for the leadership of Attorney General Bonta and California legislators who have been at the forefront of the fight to fund community violence intervention work at the state level, but the federal government cannot go back on its promises. These were grants that were already awarded to critical live-saving programs."
“The Trump Administration’s Department of Justice decision to cut millions in Community Violence Intervention and Prevention Initiative funding is a reckless and dangerous step backward,” said Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson (D-Carson). “At a time when our communities are working tirelessly to reduce gun violence through proven, community-led strategies, this move undermines years of progress and puts lives at risk. California CVI organizations, which were relying on these funds, are now forced to scale back efforts or shut down programs that save lives every day. Cutting millions for California alone sends a clear message: that community safety is not a priority for this administration. If we are serious about stopping gun violence and healing our neighborhoods, we must invest in—not abandon—the people doing the hardest work on the ground. I stand with California Attorney General Rob Bonta, GIFFORDS, and other longstanding leaders in this space, against this blatantly irresponsible are careless decision by the federal government.”
CVI programs work to break cycles of violence by employing specialists trained to engage, protect, and heal gunshot victims and others at highest risk. They provide lifesaving services designed to keep victims safe and alive, promote trauma recovery, and support pathways away from retaliatory violence and gang activity. Last year, Attorney General Bonta hosted a series of gun violence prevention roundtables around the state with hundreds of CVI leaders to recognize and uplift these programs’ enormous successes in reducing gun violence in communities across our state. Their work is incredibly important. And at every single roundtable it was expressed that what these programs need most from our leaders is meaningful, stable investment to expand their lifesaving work.
Multiple community violence intervention service providers in California have had their federal grants terminated mid-grant cycle and without any warning. Some organizations impacted are: