Maine has joined 20 other states and the District of Columbia in a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice for its restrictions on who can benefit from federal funding programs for survivors of violent crimes, Attorney General Aaron Frey announced Wednesday.

The lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court in Rhode Island, challenges a rule that bars states from using certain programs to provide services for undocumented immigrants or people who cannot provide their citizenship status. Those include programs under the Victims of Crime Act, the Violence Against Women Act, and Byrne Justice Assistance Grants, the announcement says.

“Victims of crime are human beings, deserving of care and support,” Frey said in a statement on Wednesday. “When the Trump administration attempts to predicate aid on one’s immigration status, it discourages victims from seeking help and pushes already vulnerable people further into danger.”

The DOJ informed states that they would no longer be able to use VOCA, VAWA or Byrne JAG funds to provide legal services for undocumented immigrants. That is scheduled to take effect Oct. 31, according to Frey’s announcement, and applies to grant funding that’s already been awarded.

Frey and the other states’ attorneys general argue that the proposed restriction is unconstitutional. It would cut off critical resources and could discourage survivors from seeking help, Frey said, and would also require a screening process to verify a person’s citizenship status that some service providers may not have the capacity to maintain.