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NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Justice System Responses to Illegal Immigration

National Institute of Justice, Department of Justice

Deadline
November 16, 2026in 27 days
Award size
Up to $3 millionAbout 5 awards
Matching funds
Not required
Fit for small groups
Better for larger organizations

In plain language

This grant pays for research and evaluations about how justice systems handle illegal immigration. It is meant to help organizations that work with local or state governments to study and improve responses to illegal immigration.

The money can pay for

  • Research on how justice systems handle illegal immigration
  • Evaluations of programs that deal with illegal immigration
  • Studies on criminal activity by people in the U.S. illegally
  • Analysis of cooperation between different justice systems

Who can apply

Organizations such as state governments, nonprofits, local governments, and others can apply, as long as they meet the eligibility requirements listed.

Is it a fit for a small group?

Better for larger organizations. This grant is mainly for research and evaluations, which may not fit the work of small community nonprofits that do not have research staff or experience with large studies.

Before you apply

  • The grant is for research and evaluations, not for direct community services
  • Only a few awards will be made
  • The grant is meant for organizations with experience in justice system research
  • Federal applicants need an active registration at SAM.gov and a Grants.gov account. Registration can take several weeks, so start early.

This summary was written by GrantGather with AI, based on the official listing. It can contain mistakes. Check the official listing on Grants.gov before you apply.

From the official listing

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Justice System Responses to Illegal Immigration. This opportunity supports proposals for rigorous, applied research and evaluations examining the adult criminal justice system (courts, law enforcement, jails, prisons, and community supervision) challenges and responses to illegal immigration and crimes committed by aliens while in the U.S. illegally at the state, local, and tribal levels. This includes, but is not limited to, location and apprehension, court operations, transportation and detention, investigating fraud and other crimes committed by illegal aliens, including creating an accurate profile of their rates of criminal activity, counter gang and criminal activity including drug and human trafficking operations. Criminal justice agencies often develop innovative solutions to local…

Read the full description

This is a notice of funding opportunity (NOFO) for the NIJ FY 2026 Research and Evaluation on Justice System Responses to Illegal Immigration. This opportunity supports proposals for rigorous, applied research and evaluations examining the adult criminal justice system (courts, law enforcement, jails, prisons, and community supervision) challenges and responses to illegal immigration and crimes committed by aliens while in the U.S. illegally at the state, local, and tribal levels. This includes, but is not limited to, location and apprehension, court operations, transportation and detention, investigating fraud and other crimes committed by illegal aliens, including creating an accurate profile of their rates of criminal activity, counter gang and criminal activity including drug and human trafficking operations. Criminal justice agencies often develop innovative solutions to local challenges that may provide insight to other jurisdictions. Applicants may propose studies examining single or multiple states and jurisdictions and models of cooperation between federal, state, local and tribal justice systems and other stakeholders. The goal of this NOFO is to identify innovative local strategies, evaluate their effectiveness, and inform practical, data-driven solutions that inform and strengthen the strategies that state, local, and tribal justice systems use to address illegal immigration.

Opportunity number
O-NIJ-2026-172800
Posted
October 9, 2026
Total funding
$3 million
Eligible applicants
Native American tribal organizations (other than Federally recognized tribal governments)
State governments
Nonprofits having a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
County governments
Nonprofits that do not have a 501(c)(3) status with the IRS, other than institutions of higher education
Others (see eligibility details)
City or township governments
Special district governments
Small businesses
For profit organizations other than small businesses
Native American tribal governments (Federally recognized)
Public and State controlled institutions of higher education
Private institutions of higher education
Eligibility details
Other Units of Local Government: For the purposes of this notice of funding opportunity, other units of local government include towns, boroughs, parishes, villages, or other general purpose political subdivisions of a state.
Assistance listing
16.560 National Institute of Justice Research, Evaluation, and Development Project Grants
Agency contact
National Institute of Justice
OJP.ResponseCenter@usdoj.gov
202-616-5314
Open the official listing on Grants.govAgency’s full announcement