Security News in Brief: Department of Justice Fiscal Year 2023 Funding Request

Today, the President submitted to Congress his Budget for Fiscal Year 2023 (FY23), which requests a total of $37.65 billion in discretionary resources for the Department of Justice, an increase of $2.63 billion over the Fiscal Year 2022 enacted level.

“The President’s Budget would enable the Justice Department to carry out our mission of upholding the rule of law, keeping our country safe, and protecting civil rights,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “We will put these resources to work to keep our country safe from threats both foreign and domestic – from terrorism and gun violence to cybercrime and corporate crime. At the same time, we will step up our efforts to protect civil rights by combating hate crimes, safeguarding fair elections, and strengthening trust and accountability in law enforcement. This Budget would also allow us to reinvigorate antitrust enforcement and ensure the just administration of our nation’s immigration courts and correctional systems. We look forward to working with Congress to secure this Budget’s timely passage.”

Key resource requests for the Department of Justice include:

• A total of more than $20 billion to expand the capacity of the Department’s law enforcement components and U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to keep our country safe from a wide range of complex and evolving threats. Key investments to keep our country safe include:
  • $10.80 billion for the FBI and $2.77 billion for the U.S. Attorneys’ Offices to carry out their complex mission sets, including by keeping our country safe from violent crime, cybercrime, hate crimes, terrorism, espionage, and the proliferation and potential use of weapons of mass destruction.
  • $2.52 billion for the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to continue the fight against dangerous drug trafficking gangs and cartels and to prevent the flow of deadly drugs into our communities.
  • $1.81 billion for the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) to assist local law enforcement in apprehending violent fugitives from our neighborhoods and to protect our nation’s judges and courts.
  • $1.73 billion for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) to expand multijurisdictional gun trafficking strike forces with additional personnel, enhance the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network, and modernize the National Tracing Center to further build ATF’s capacity to fulfill trace requests from local, state, federal, and international law enforcement agencies.
  • Funding to expand the Justice Department’s efforts to protect children from crime and exploitation; fight elder fraud, abuse, and neglect; combat human trafficking; and promote safety and justice in Indian Country.
• Significant investments in grants for state and local law enforcement partners nationwide dedicated to funding the police, preventing crime, and accelerating criminal justice system reform, including:
  • A total of $6.24 billion in discretionary and mandatory resources in FY23 for the Office of Justice Programs to support critical longstanding Justice Department grant programs – including Byrne Justice Assistant Grants, Project Safe Neighborhoods, and programs that serve victims of crime – as well as new programs that will provide state, local, and Tribal governments with additional resources to prevent crime, reduce gun violence, and accelerate criminal justice system reform.
  • A total of $2.83 billion in discretionary and mandatory resources in FY23 for the Community Oriented Policing Service (COPS Office) to support the hiring of police and sworn law enforcement personnel nationwide and the implementation of community-based strategies to combat violent crime.
  • $1 billion for the Office on Violence Against Women to support longstanding Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) programs, including programs that provide critical resources to all states and territories to fund police, prosecutors, courts and victim services as well as resources to provide legal assistance for victims, transitional housing, and homicide and domestic violence reduction initiatives.
  • The President is proposing a total of $30 billion in new mandatory resources to support law enforcement, crime prevention, community violence intervention, and justice system reform. More details will be provided on this mandatory funding in the coming weeks.
• Critical investments to support the Justice Department’s mission of protecting civil rights, including:
  • Robust support for the Justice Department’s core civil rights components: $215.2 million for the Civil Rights Division to expand its efforts to deter and prosecute hate crimes; safeguard fair elections; and combat discrimination; $25 million for the Community Relations Service to provide mediation and conciliation services to communities impacted by conflict; an additional $17.8 million for the FBI and an additional $8.2 million for the U.S. Attorneys to bolster their civil rights work; and $10 million for the Office for Access to Justice.
  • $106.3 million in new funding to strengthen trust and accountability in law enforcement by expanding, formalizing, and managing Body Worn Camera programs for the FBI, DEA, USMS, and ATF.
  • $7.9 million in new funding for the Environment and Natural Resources Division’s efforts to advance environmental justice and combat the climate crisis.
• Critical investments in the Antitrust Division, the Consumer Protection Branch, the FBI, U.S. Attorneys’ Offices, and the Criminal Division to promote economic competition; prevent the theft of intellectual property; deter and prosecute corporate crime; protect the government against fraud; and combat corruption. Among other investments, the President’s budget would provide a total of $273 million for the Antitrust Division to reinvigorate antitrust enforcement and protect consumers.
• Resources to ensure the just administration of our nation’s immigration courts and correctional system, including:
  • $1.35 billion for the Executive Office for Immigration Review (EOIR) to reduce the backlog of immigration cases, including by supporting 100 new immigration judges, expanding EOIR’s virtual court initiative, and investing new resources in legal access programming.
  • $8.18 billion for the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of incarcerated individuals and correctional staff; fully implement the First Step Act and ease carriers to successful reentry; and ensure transparency, accountability, and effective oversight of all federal prisons and detention centers.