Governor Kathy Hochul
Governor Kathy Hochul is calling out President Donald Trump and U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem following $187 million in cuts to counter-terrorism funding in New York.
Hochul said the state’s allocation has been cut by 86% to $30 million. This includes a projected $100 million cut to the NYPD, a projected $15 million cut to the FDNY, a projected $13 million cut to Joint Task Force Empire Shield, no projected funding for any of New York State’s 12 certified bomb squads; and millions of dollars in cuts that directly support counties, sheriffs and police departments.
Chautauqua County would have its funding cut $154,544 to $16,169
Hochul said in a media release, “A Republican administration literally defunding the police is the height of hypocrisy — and walking away from the fight against terrorism in the number one terrorist target in America is utterly shocking. Any New York House Republican who doesn’t immediately act to get this funding restored is complicit in making their constituents less safe.”
In response, New York State Attorney General Letitia James joined a multi-state coalition of 11 other states in suing to stop the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) from illegally depriving states from hundreds of millions of dollars under the federal Homeland Security Grant Program for refusal to support the administration’s immigration agenda.
Additionally, Hochul issued a letter to Secretary Noem demanding transparency and accountability on these cuts, as well as their full restoration.
The funding, provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency through its Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP), supports local law enforcement and regional homeland security preparedness efforts, including intelligence operations, mass gathering security, planning, equipment purchases, and training critical to sustaining and improving community prevention, protection, response and recovery capabilities.
Following an extended delay, DHS released the 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity for Homeland Security Grant Program giving states the ability to access this critical funding. However despite being the nation’s number one terrorist target, New York’s allocation was cut by 40 percent ($87 million). Then, without notice nor explanation, New York was cut an additional $102.7 million when DHS issued the awards on September 27.
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