By Hank Russell
Two days after it was announced that New York State would lose $187 million in anti-terrorism funding, the Trump administration announced it had reversed course and would reinstate the funding for the state.
As previously reported in Long Island Life & Politics, Governor Kathy Hochul called out Trump and U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem following $187 million in cuts to critical counterterrorism funding in New York that the Trump administration announced on October 1. Hochul said those cuts directly impacted the safety and security of New Yorkers, reducing New York’s allocation by 86% to $30 million.
According to Hochul, Long Island could have lost more than $7 million in funding, LILP previously reported. This included $4.6 million in lost Urban Areas Security Initiative (UASI) funding. In addition, Nassau was slated to lose over $1.6 million in State Homeland Security Program (SHSP) funding, from $1,820,278 last year to a projected $172,402 this year — a 90.5% decline — while Suffolk stood to receive only 9.5% of what it got last year. In 2024, Suffolk received $1,180,103 in SHSP funding; anticipated funding for 2025 was $111,7770. That was a year-over-year loss of more than $1.6 million.
A DHS spokesperson told LILP that the Federal Emergency Management Agency was “aligning its grant programs” with what the Trump Administration wanted “to streamline federal resources and reduce the burden on the American taxpayer.”
RapidResponse47 retweeted an X post from Trump, who posted, “I am pleased to advise that I reversed the cuts made to Homeland Security and Counterterrorism for New York City and State. It was my Honor to do so. Thank you for your attention to this matter! President DJT.”
On September 29, Attorney General Letitia James and a coalition of attorneys general sued the DHS, accusing the agency of unlawfully withholding funds from the Homeland Security Grant Program (HSGP), which supports law enforcement training, emergency preparedness, and counter-terrorism activities. The administration’s actions jeopardized more than $100 million for New York alone, representing a 77% cut in HSGP funds for the state.
Two days later, on October 1, the U.S. District Court for the District of Rhode Island granted the coalition’s motion for a temporary restraining order, preventing DHS from reallocating hundreds of millions of dollars away from states that the administration has unlawfully targeted. The court’s order immediately prevents DHS from enforcing its funding cuts, ensuring that New York and other states do not lose important resources for counterterrorism, emergency preparedness, and public safety.
“This is an important win for New Yorkers and for every state that relies on these critical funds to stop dangerous threats,” James said. “The federal government cannot play politics with the safety of our communities and the hardworking law enforcement officers who protect them every day. I will continue fighting to ensure New York gets the resources we need to keep our state safe.”
LILP reached out to the Trump administration for further comment, but did not hear back as of press time.