President Donald Trump stalls on promise to create a fund for victims of ‘migrant crime’

As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump promised to create a fund to support victims of crimes committed by immigrants.

"Under my administration, we will be seizing the assets of criminal gangs and drug cartels," Trump said Oct. 29, 2024, during a campaign event. "And we will use those assets to create a compensation fund to provide restitution for the victims of migrant crime."

Throughout his campaign for a second term, Trump used the phrase "migrant crime," highlighting crimes committed by immigrants. It's difficult to track "migrant crime" because the vast majority of states don't track the immigration status of people who commit crimes. Texas is the only state that maintains immigration status records on people arrested and convicted of state crimes. 

Several studies overwhelmingly found that noncitizens are less likely than citizens to be convicted of or incarcerated for crimes. 

More than a year into Trump's second term, PolitiFact found no White House communications, such as press releases, announcing the creation of a support fund as Trump promised. The White House didn't answer PolitiFact's questions about this fund. 

The Department of Justice for decades has provided funding to states and organizations to support victims of crimes committed by anyone, not just immigrants. However, during Trump's second term, the Department of Justice has terminated several grants and placed barriers for organizations and states to access the remaining funding. 

Among those barriers are limiting funding for states that don't cooperate with federal immigration enforcement and restricting funds for people who are in the country illegally. Several states and organizations have sued the Justice Department over the funding cuts and barriers. 

There is still time for Trump to create a fund using assets seized from gangs and drug cartels to support victims of crimes committed by immigrants. However, in the first year of his second term, Trump doesn't appear to have taken steps toward accomplishing that promise. 

Instead, the Justice Department has stripped funding and implemented roadblocks for states and organizations that support crime victims. We rate the promise Stalled.