A federal judge in Rhode Island issued a ruling on Sept. 29 that will help protect federal funding for Crisis Center North (CCN) and other domestic violence agencies throughout the nation.

U S. District Judge Melissa DuBose ruled that the Trump Administration could not restrict funding based on such issues as whether agencies have diversity, equity, and inclusion programs; serve immigrants; recognize and respect people regardless of gender identity; and acknowledge systemic causes of abuse, among other things.

The lawsuit was filed by the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence and state domestic violence coalitions from more than 20 other states, as well as other agencies.

CCN supported the plaintiffs by declining to sign the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC) grant conditions as written and by documenting how the proposed changes would harm its operations and the clients it serves. That stand came at a significant cost: CCN forfeited $500,000 in funding for eight months and relied on fundraising to sustain its housing program until the matter was resolved. At no point in time was CCN’s housing program compromised during this timeframe.

“CCN was pleased to stand with other national coalitions in ensuring that anyone who needs assistance can receive it. A community is not safe, unless everyone in it is,” said Grace Coleman, president and CEO of Crisis Center North.

The ruling protects funding from the U.S. Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Office on Violence Against Women, the Office of Justice Programs and the Office for Victims of Crime that flows to scores of domestic violence and sexual assault intervention and treatment agencies.

Federal funding accounts for more than 40 percent of CCN’s $1.6 million annual budget.

The lawsuit was filed in June 2025.

The court first issued an order in the case in August 2025, blocking what it called unlawful restrictions, which would have made it impossible for many grantees to operate legally or effectively. The Trump Administration then imposed additional conditions on grant funding, which would have prevented providers from serving certain noncitizen survivors and others who couldn’t immediately prove their citizenship. The Sept. 29 order also invalidates those added conditions.

“We applaud the court’s protection for survivors of domestic violence,” said Susan Higginbotham, CEO of the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence. “Federal funding should never be used to limit access to help for the most vulnerable in our population.”

In her order, Judge DuBose said that she was invalidating all the new conditions imposed by the Trump Administration on grant funding, but would allow the agency to file new restrictions in the future if it wanted to.

The numerous plaintiffs in the case were represented by Democracy Forward, the Jacobson Lawyers Group, the Lawyers’ Committee for Rhode Island, the ACLU of Rhode Island; and the National Women’s Law Center.

CCN not only provides legal services and therapy to victims of domestic violence, but it has been acclaimed for several innovative programs, including the PAWS for Empowerment initiative, which makes sure that victims can safely take their pets with them when they flee an abusive situation. Last year, CCN served 2,447 domestic violence survivors and their family members, providing more than 33,000 discrete services.

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