San Diego anti-child exploitation grant at risk due to Trump conditions, lawsuit says

As its name suggests, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program is designed to help law enforcement agencies crack down on various forms of online child exploitation, particularly sexual exploitation. In San Diego and across the country, local, state and federal agencies team up — with the help of federal grant funding — in an effort to protect children from online predators and investigate and prosecute online child sexual exploitation.

But this year, the Trump administration is conditioning federal funding for at least two California-based ICAC task forces on the unrelated White House priorities of immigration enforcement and anti-Diversity, Equity and Inclusion programs, according to a lawsuit filed Friday by the cities of San Diego and San Jose.

Those conditions, and the subsequent lawsuit, follow a similar pattern that has played out since President Donald Trump has been back in office. The White House has repeatedly attempted to condition federal funding, including from such agencies as the Federal Emergency Management Agency, on local municipalities complying with immigration enforcement and anti-DEI policies, often targeting so-called sanctuary cities. Those...