20 state AGs sue Trump administration over rule that bars aid to some sex abuse and rape survivors

New York Attorney General Letitia James and 19 other states announced they are suing the Trump administration to block new restrictions on federal funding to help some victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.

New York Attorney General Letitia James and the top prosecutors from 19 other states announced that they are suing the Trump administration to block new restrictions on federal funding to help some victims of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Specifically, the coalition is focusing its lawsuit, filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island, on a new Justice Department rule that bars states from providing services to survivors who "cannot immediately prove their immigration status," the attorneys general said in a statement.

"Sexual assault and domestic violence survivors turn to our courts for safety and protection," James said in the statement. "They should never be turned away because of who they are or where they come from."

The attorneys general warned that "even lawful residents and U.S. citizens could be shut out from urgently needed services" as a result of the new Justice Department restrictions.

"People fleeing abusive households often do not physically have the legal documents needed to demonstrate immigration status," they said in the statement. "Abusers will frequently restrict a victim’s access to important legal documents as a means of control and as a tactic to prevent them from escaping the dangerous situation."