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Court Grants Motion to Block Trump-Vance Administration’s Unlawful Restrictions on Funding for Critical Services for Survivors, LGBTQI+ Youth, and Unhoused Communities

July 25, 2025

PCADV is one of 22 state domestic violence, sexual assault, housing, youth, and homelessness organizations in the lawsuit. 

Harrisburg, PA — A federal court 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. 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.

Joining Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV) as plaintiffs in the case include Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 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, ValorUS, Violence Free Minnesota, Virginia Sexual And Domestic Violence Action Alliance, Wisconsin Coalition Against Sexual Assault,  House of Hope Community Development Corporation, Community Care Alliance, Foster Forward, Rhode Island Coalition to End Homelessness, and Haus of Codec.

“The court’s decision is a powerful reminder that we must uphold our mission to serve all victims of domestic violence with dignity and respect,” PCADV CEO Susan Higginbotham said. “This is a moment of hope and validation for our movement, and it’s a lifeline for the survivors, domestic violence programs, families, and communities who rely on us every day. We are grateful that the court recognized the harm these restrictions would cause and stood up for all who need us. Everyone deserves lives free from intimate partner violence.”

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.

Created and authorized by Congress, the affected programs—such as the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA), the Family Violence Prevention and Services Act (FVPSA), Victims of Crime Acts (VOCA), and the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act—have long provided critical support to organizations that serve survivors, families, youth, and unhoused individuals. Through politically motivated funding conditions, the administration is undermining Congress’s clear intent, threatening the effectiveness of these programs, and jeopardizing services that vulnerable communities across the country depend on.

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 and co-counsel’s quotes about this case are available here

Read the complaint here.

You can read Democracy Forward’s press release here.

About PCADV 

The Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence (PCADV) is a statewide collaborative membership organization committed to ending intimate partner violence and all forms of violence and oppression.  

Each year, we work with our 59 member programs across the state to provide free and confidential direct services to nearly 90,000 victims and survivors of domestic violence and their children in all 67 counties of the Commonwealth. Together, local programs and the statewide Coalition work in collaboration to deliver a continuum of services, support, and systems to help victims and survivors find safety, obtain justice, and build lives free of abuse. 

At PCADV, we embrace diversity and its collective strength in creating a community where systems support ALL so everyone can thrive. Led by this principle and to fulfill our mission of ending all forms of violence, we simultaneously strive to challenge and eliminate all types of systemic racism, oppression, and injustice.  

PCADV is proud to lead the charge and stand alongside our other state coalitions to provide a voice for all survivors and the programs that serve them. 

If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic violence, please visit pcadv.org/find-help or call the national hotline at 1-800-799-SAFE (7233).  

About Democracy Forward 

Democracy Forward Foundation is a national legal organization that advances democracy and social progress through litigation, policy, public education, and regulatory engagement. For more information, please visit www.democracyforward.org

The case is Rhode Island Coalition Against Domestic Violence v. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. et al.

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