The Vera Institute, established in 1961, is among the oldest, largest, and most prominent criminal justice nonprofits in the country. In the 2023 fiscal year, its total revenue was $263 million, according to its public tax filings. The organization’s president, Nick Turner, said the affected programs would continue operating while it formally appeals the funding termination.

Given the Trump administration’s unprecedented cuts to federal spending, Rahman said she wasn’t surprised when the Vera Institute received the termination letter April 4. In it, the DOJ wrote that the Vera Institute’s work “no longer effectuate[s] the program goals or agency priorities.” What was unusual, Rahman said, was that Vera was alone in having its funding cut.

“It leads us to believe that the only reason our funding was cut is that we have been singularly vocal in our opposition to this administration’s actions,” Rahman said. The Vera Institute has condemned the Trump administration’s mass deportation agenda and detention of pro-Palestine student protesters.

The Department of Justice did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

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