Stop AAPI Hate calls $2 million grant termination by DOJ an ‘authoritarian overreach’

The Department of Justice has terminated a $2 million grant to Stop AAPI Hate alongside funding for 33 other community organizations as part of a sweeping cutback of federal justice programs under the Trump administration.

“Lifeline” lost: In a statement on May 9, Stop AAPI Hate, which tracks anti-Asian hate incidents, condemned the termination as “an act of authoritarian overreach” that is “unconstitutional, unjust and targeted.” The nonprofit noted the timing during AAPI Heritage Month, connecting the decision to Trump as “the same figure who, five years ago, ignited an unprecedented wave of anti-Asian hate and violence with his racist rhetoric during the COVID-19 pandemic.” The group emphasized that the canceled funding was “not a luxury,” but a “lifeline” for communities facing hate.

What the group does: Founded in March 2020 by AAPI Equity Alliance, Chinese for Affirmative Action and San Francisco State University’s Asian American Studies Department, Stop AAPI Hate created an online reporting system that went viral amid rising COVID-19-related racism. Today, the coalition continues its work as the country’s largest reporting center tracking anti-AAPI hate acts while advocating for “comprehensive solutions that tackle the root causes of race-based hate.”

The big picture: The terminated grant was part of a broader purge affecting 373 DOJ grants initially valued at approximately $820 million, with an estimated $500 million in remaining balances rescinded. The cuts reportedly began in April and span 37 states, affecting both blue and red ones. The DOJ, for its part, has justified the terminations, stating the work “no longer effectuates Department priorities,” which now focus on “combatting violent crime, protecting American children and supporting American victims of trafficking and sexual assault.”

Despite the funding loss, Stop AAPI Hate says it remains committed to its mission and “more determined than ever to fight for our communities and our democracy.”