New York Gov. Kathy Hochul is trying to convince the Trump Administration’s head of the Department of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, to release what should be tens of millions in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funds for New York under the government’s Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP). The program has been providing money to New York and other states since 2002 but so far his year the Trump Administration has been sitting on the funds.
Homeland Security said a notice of funding opportunities would be released in May, but it wasn’t and information on the status of the program had not been updated since May 16.
According to Hochul, in 2024 New York received $219.9 million in HSGP funding, $156.1 million of which was allocated through the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) for jurisdictions in the New York City Metro Area, principally the New York Police Department. In 2023, New York received $244.7 million with $173.9 million allocated through UASI.
Hochul takes the position that HSGP funding is vital in view of on-going terrorism threats. The money provides state and local law enforcement, public safety, homeland security and emergency management officials with critical resources to further their preparedness and response capabilities.
“Not only does New York face the nation’s most diverse threat landscape, but with numerous economic, governmental, and recreational assets, it remains the nation’s top target for terrorism,” Hochul said in a letter to Noem. “In recent months, that threat has only grown given the ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, making it essential that the federal government, specifically, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), ensure the availability of critical homeland security funding to states and local governments.”
Hochul pointed out that on June 22, Noem’s own agency, DHS, issued a bulletin through the National Terrorism Advisory System notifying Americans of the heightened threat environment the U.S. faces due to its recent involvement in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.
“Any further delays in the availability of HSGP will degrade the capabilities of our nation to prevent terrorism and make us less safe at a time when the variety and severity of security threats continue to grow,” Hochul said. “I urge you to release the FY2025 HSGP Notice of Funding Opportunity immediately and help ensure our nation remains ready and able to defend ourselves against anyone seeking to threaten our way of life.”
Hochul said that New York state is putting up $8 million to help fill the gap left by the federal government, but HSGP funding is vital to securing and maintaining critical infrastructure such as transportation hubs, power grids, water systems, and communication networks, which she said are top targets for terrorists.
