Stop AAPI Hate sues Dept. of Justice over $2 million grant termination

Stop AAPI Hate, the leading national coalition formed to combat anti-Asian hate, filed a class action lawsuit on May 21 against the U.S. Department of Justice over the abrupt termination of a $2 million public safety grant.

The lawsuit, filed in collaboration with five nonprofit and community organizations across the country serving all sides of the population—including the Children and Youth Justice Center, FORCE Detroit, Health Resources in Action, and the Vera Institute of Justice—aims to reverse what plaintiffs call the “unlawful stripping” of more than $810 million in public safety grants awarded to hundreds of nonprofits nationwide. The coalition is represented by Democracy Forward and Perry Law.

“The unlawful termination of our DOJ grant puts countless Asian Americans’ and Pacific Islanders’ safety, lives, and livelihoods at risk,” Cynthia Choi, co-founder of Stop AAPI Hate and co-executive director of Chinese for Affirmative Action, tells JoySauce. “The $2 million grant was our single largest source of funding for the next two years—meant to power our work tracking hate, supporting victims, and protecting AA+PI communities.” 

Founded in 2020 in response to rising anti-Asian violence during the COVID-19 pandemic, Stop AAPI Hate quickly became the nation’s most prominent tracker of anti-AA+PI incidents and advocate for community-based safety solutions. The DOJ grant, awarded in 2024, was intended to support expanded initiatives, including real-time tracking of hate acts, public transit safety efforts, and survivor healing programs.

“This isn’t a budget cut—it’s a betrayal to AA+PI communities across the nation. We must fight for the justice and safety that we, and all other communities, deserve.”

Then, with no prior warning or detailed explanation, the DOJ rescinded the grant in April—alongside hundreds of others awarded to community-based public safety programs.

“This isn’t a budget cut—it’s a betrayal to AA+PI communities across the nation,” Choi says. “We must fight for the justice and safety that we, and all other communities, deserve.”

The lawsuit, Vera Institute of Justice et al. v. U.S. Department of Justice, represents more than 200 organizations that collectively argue the DOJ’s actions endanger lives, gut community violence prevention systems, and halt years of progress in victim support and public safety infrastructure.

In a formal statement released on May 22, Stop AAPI Hate writes: “This moment demands courage and clarity—and we need you with us. Stand with us. Speak out. Share our story. We’re not backing down. And with your support, we never will.”