ACLU: RI Judge Grants Motion to Block Trump-Vance Administration’s Unlawful Restrictions on Funding for Critical Services for Survivors, LGBTQI+ Youth, & Unhoused Communities
The Rhode Island Chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) continued its relentless assault on the news cycle with yet another victory, in the courts and the legislative halls … in this case blocking the Trump Administration from attempting to restrict participation in federal grant programs across a panoply of Federal Agencies.
From the Rhode Island American Civil Liberties Union:
Rhode Island District Judge Melissa R. DuBose has granted a request to temporarily block the Trump-Vance administration from adding harmful new restrictions on federal grant programs administered by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Housing and Urban Development (HUD). The decision ensures that organizations serving survivors of domestic and sexual violence, LGBTQI+ youth, and unhoused communities can continue their critical work without being forced to abandon inclusive practices or censor support for transgender people.
The court granted plaintiffs’ motion for a temporary restraining order (TRO) in Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence v. Kennedy, a lawsuit brought by a broad nationwide coalition of advocacy organizations and service providers, including six in Rhode Island. Plaintiffs will submit a proposal for the precise scope of the TRO for the court’s review, focused on the organizations that must decide whether to accept the unlawful conditions as soon as July 30. The ruling will halt the administration’s new funding restrictions that targeted diversity, equity, inclusion, and transgender rights, putting life-saving services at risk.
The plaintiffs issued the following statement:
“We welcome the court’s decision to grant our motion to halt the Trump-Vance administration’s unlawful and dangerous funding restrictions. These conditions threaten to undermine decades of progress in supporting survivors of violence, LGBTQI+ youth, and unhoused individuals. Our organizations exist to serve everyone with compassion and equity, and we will not be forced to choose between our values and mission and the communities we serve. The court’s order is a critical step in protecting life-saving programs and ensuring that the providers across the country can continue their work without political interference. We brought this case because we have seen firsthand the harm these restrictions would cause. Today’s ruling affirms what we have long known, that the law does not permit any government to use its funding power to force service providers to abandon their core principles.”
The lawsuit challenges the Trump-Vance administration’s attempt to impose ideological and political limits on federal grants administered by HHS and HUD. Under the blocked policies, providers risked losing funding or facing legal liability simply for maintaining inclusive programs or acknowledging the needs of transgender people.
The six Rhode Island organizational plaintiffs in the case are the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, House of Hope Community Development Corporation, Community Care Alliance, Foster Forward, Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness, and Haus of Codec.
The other plaintiffs in the case include the California Partnership To End Domestic Violence, Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault, District Of Columbia Coalition Against Domestic Violence, End Domestic Abuse Wisconsin: The Wisconsin Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Idaho Coalition Against Sexual And Domestic Violence, Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Jane Doe Inc. (The Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault And Domestic Violence), Kansas Coalition Against Sexual And Domestic Violence, Montana Coalition Against Domestic And Sexual Violence, North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Oregon Coalition Against Domestic And Sexual Violence, Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence, ValorUS, Violence Free Minnesota, Virginia Sexual And Domestic Violence Action Alliance, and the Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault.
The plaintiffs are represented by Democracy Forward, Jacobson Lawyers Group, National Women’s Law Center, Lawyers’ Committee for Rhode Island, and the ACLU Foundation of Rhode Island.
Plaintiff Reactions:
Steven Brown, Executive Director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Rhode Island: “It is an injustice to take away critical funding for housing and other services for irrelevant, unlawful, and ideologically driven reasons in a time when Rhode Island, and communities across the country, are experiencing a growing housing crisis. We are dedicated to ensuring the grant process is fair for all, and that organizations are not excluded for failing to comply with conditions that undermine the very statutes these federal agencies are supposed to be implementing.”
Lucy Rios, executive director of the Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence (RICADV):
“These harmful funding conditions jeopardize decades of progress in how we care for survivors and prevent domestic violence. They attempt to strip away the principles of equity, inclusion, and truth that our services are built on. The data is clear: domestic violence is a public health crisis, it one of the leading drivers of homelessness for women and children, and it doesn’t affect us all equally. There are disparities based on identities like race, sexual orientation, immigration status, and gender identity that impact access to services and justice. In the middle of a housing crisis, restricting access to safe, affirming shelter is not only dangerous, it is devastating and will put lives at risk. These changes would force providers to make an impossible choice between federal support and their commitment to serving all survivors, especially those who are LGBTQ+, unhoused, or from Black and Brown communities. We will not abandon what we know works, and we will not turn our backs on those most impacted by violence.”
Jordan Day, Board President of House of Hope CDC:
“At House of Hope, we believe in the inherent dignity and rights of all people—especially those who are most vulnerable and often have the least access to the resources needed to advocate for themselves. The new federal contract requirements undermine those values by forcing providers like us to comply with restrictions that limit diversity, equity, inclusion, and access to essential care. We cannot, in good conscience, sign contracts that go against our mission. That’s why we’ve joined this lawsuit—to stand up for our community and defend the rights of those with the most to lose.”
Lisa Guillette, Executive Director of Foster Forward:
“Foster Forward is proud to stand alongside other organizations in defense of the young people and communities we serve. These new conditions jeopardize our ability to provide safe, inclusive, and essential services for the youth who count on us. We’re grateful to our legal partners, whose pro bono support is helping us uphold both the law and our values.”
Kim Simmons, Executive Director of the Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness:
“Homelessness cannot be solved without confronting the deep systemic disparities that make race, gender identity and background determining factors in who receives help and how they receive help. Prohibiting our ability to do this limits our ability to fulfill our mission.”
Michelle P. Taylor, Vice President of Social Health Services Community Care Alliance:“Community Care Alliance is committed to preserving the rights of our most vulnerable community members and stand ready to defend any threats to the resources that connect people to basic needs for housing, food, and healthcare, including behavioral health.”
Julio E. Berroa, Executive Director of Haus of Codec:
” Haus of Codec is the only emergency housing provider in Rhode Island that exclusively specializes in providing care to LGBTQIA+ clients ages 18 – 24. Without these funds our program would cease to exist. The crucial and life saving services Haus of Codec provides has been a lifeline for our state that is experiencing a significant deficit in affordable housing and shelter beds for all populations. Losing these funds would mean more individuals would be returning to the streat and lose access to food, clothing, essential personal care products and the dignity that no person should live without.”
Amy Romero, Chief Legal Counsel of the Lawyers’ Committee for Rhode Island:
“The Lawyers’ Committee for Rhode Island proudly represents six courageous Rhode Island nonprofits – and many others nationwide – who are confronting injustice in order to provide urgently needed safety, housing security, healthcare to vulnerable individuals and families, free from unlawful conditions.”
