The Justice Department terminated hundreds of grants this week, effectively slashing the budgets for organizations across the country that assist crime victims and fight both gun violence and opioid abuse.

Some of the cuts were reversed within 24 hours, but even that temporary shut-off could be devastating to programs assisting victims, a source told NBC News.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Justice Department has canceled hundreds of ongoing grants that funded everything from services for mental health care for police officers to support programs for victims of crime and sexual assault, according to internal records and four people familiar with the matter.