Washington state filed an amicus brief decrying the Trump administration’s illegal budget cuts to public safety and in support of plaintiffs seeking to halt them. Building effective public safety systems requires engaging the people who experience crime and violence firsthand. Yet, two months ago, without warning and effective immediately, the Justice Department’s Office of Justice Programs cancelled hundreds of millions of dollars in funding to community advocates, researchers, local governments, and law enforcement for programs that fill crucial gaps in the public social safety net. “Communities must be empowered to set public safety priorities and build solutions. The federal government’s actions have gutted essential public safety programs nationwide. Apparently, preventing violence, supporting crime victims, and rehabilitating incarcerated people are no longer priorities of the Justice Department.” – AG Brown