AUGUSTA, Maine — Maine Attorney General Aaron Frey and a coalition of 20 other states have secured a binding agreement preventing the U.S. Department of Justice from enforcing new limits on federal funds that support survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault.

The states sued last month after the Justice Department announced it would bar the use of Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) and Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) funding for legal services provided to people who could not immediately prove their immigration status. The coalition argued the change was unlawful and would cut off essential help for survivors.

The Justice Department has now agreed that the restriction will not apply to any current VOCA or VAWA victim-assistance grants. The states will dismiss their lawsuit witho

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