Garbarino Applauds President Trump’s Restoration of Counterterrorism Grant Funding to New York City After Urging a Reversal

WASHINGTON D.C. - Today, Congressman Andrew R. Garbarino (R-NY-02), chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, issued the following statement after President Trump announced the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is restoring access to millions of dollars in grant funding to the New York City urban area through the State Homeland Security Grant Program (SHSP) and the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI), which assists high-risk urban areas' efforts to build, sustain, and deliver the capabilities necessary to prevent, prepare for, protect against, and respond to acts of terrorism:

"As chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security and a proud New Yorker, I called on the Trump administration to restore this vital funding. I appreciate President Trump's responsiveness, engagement, and swift action to heed my calls and reverse these drastic and dangerous funding cuts to vital DHS grants, which support New York City's counterterrorism efforts. New York remains our nation's top terror target 24 years after 9/11, and the dynamic threats we face continue to evolve. We must meet this heightened threat landscape with an unwavering and shared commitment to emergency preparedness and coordination between, federal, state, and local law enforcement partners. New York City's unique experience and role in nationwide intelligence sharing enables these resources to further enhance DHS's counterterrorism mission across America. I will continue to work with the Trump administration to ensure the disbursement of these essential counterterrorism resources aligns with the threats facing our communities nationwide, and I look forward to continuing our work with the administration on our shared priority of protecting all Americans from those who seek to do us harm."

Background:

Chairman Garbarino urged the Department of Homeland Security to reverse course earlier this week after FEMA announced 91 percent and 86 percent reductions to New York City grants from the SHSP and UASI, respectively, for Fiscal Year 2025. Chairman Garbarino stated these cuts would "undermine our capabilities, embolden our enemies and ultimately increase the danger facing our communities."

Since the horrific attacks of September 11th, 2001, New York's law enforcement, fire, and other emergency management agencies utilized preparedness funds to carry out their mission sets by enhancing counterterrorism-related information sharing, increasing preparedness for physical and cyber threats to critical infrastructure, enhancing the protection of soft targets and crowded places, and addressing emerging threats, among other items. The New York metropolitan area remains the nation's top terror target, but it is not alone in facing significant terrorist threats. Several jurisdictions have consistently been designated as urban areas at increased risk for terrorist activity, including every 2026 FIFA World Cup host city.

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