With approval from the House Appropriations Committee, some $30 million has been marked for Justice Department use on the Community-Based Approaches to Advancing Justice Grant Program — an effort begun just last year to reduce violent hate crimes in communities nationwide.
The funding was added to the Justice Department’s overall budget, which awaits further action in both the House and Senate. The grant program, on the other hand, represents an expansion of provisions from the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act passed in May 2021, after the joint efforts of U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY) and U.S. Sen. Mazie Hirono (D-HI). In last year’s spending package, the initiative from those two lawmakers secured $5 million in grant funding initially.
“More than two years into the COVID-19 crisis, Asian Americans continue to live in fear of hate crimes and incidents due to being scapegoated for the pandemic,” Meng said. “That is why it is important to invest in the Justice Department’s programs to ensure we are taking a holistic approach to addressing the problem. While we finalize the government spending bills for the coming fiscal year, it is critical that our communities not lose out on vital federal funds that will help local organizations support victims and address discrimination and violence.”
Meng also noted that the Senate bill would, for the first time, provide grant money to aid community organizations in fighting hate crimes. Community-based organizations aid both victims and their families in both warding and recovering from hate crimes, which have risen in frequency in recent years. Grants to these organizations are administered by the Justice Department’s Bureau of Justice Assistance.
“I introduced the COVID-19 Hate Crimes Act with Congresswoman Meng to combat the disturbing rise in hate crimes Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians, and Pacific Islanders have faced since the onset of the COVID pandemic,” Hirono said. “This legislation has been critical to our work to prevent hate-based crimes and empower our communities, but it is clear that more must be done. This funding will help the Justice Department and the organizations on the front lines in our communities do more to prevent hate-based crimes and attacks, and hold those who commit these acts of hate accountable.”