Full Breakdown
New York Governor Demands Release of $87 Million Counterterrorism Grant
9/2/2026, 12:08:18 PM
Core Request and Political Charge
Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani held a joint news conference in early 2024, urging the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to disburse $87 million that they say was already allocated for state and city counterterrorism programs. Hochul framed the delay as a political act, accusing President Donald Trump of “defunding the police” and warning that withholding the money endangers families of 9/11 victims, first-responders, and New Yorkers at large.
Funding Dispute and Numbers
- Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) officials countered that New York currently has more than $300 million in unspent homeland-security grants and that the $87 million figure is part of a multi-year award that also included a $133 million allocation for fiscal 2025.
- The governor’s office noted that the combined 2024 grant total for city and state was $217 million.
- Hochul cited 145 major arrests and case leads across ten states that relied on the federal funds.
- City emergency-management officials said the money supports 12 bomb squads, an internal fire-department communications system, hazmat training, and 110 staff positions.
- DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, announcing Operation Rotten Apple, reported arrests of more than 2,100 illegal immigrants between July 27 and Aug. 29, linking the operation to New York’s sanctuary policies.
Official Statements & Responses
Mayor Mamdani echoed the call, describing the federal grant as vital for bomb-squad operations and emergency communications. DHS Secretary Mullin highlighted recent immigration-enforcement successes while defending the agency’s broader funding decisions. FEMA’s spokesperson described the governor’s claim as a “manufactured funding crisis,” pointing to the $300 million of unspent allocations and upcoming $200 million grant tied to the FIFA World Cup.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Don't play political games with people's lives. Release the $87 million you owe us,” — Governor Kathy Hochul, spokesperson
- “We’ve come too far to let this reckless federal government jeopardize all of our progress and the vital work that is still ahead,” — Governor Kathy Hochul, spokesperson
- “Don’t defund the police who thwart terror attacks.” — Governor Kathy Hochul, spokesperson
- “Every bit of emergency management is funded through this money, and if it doesn’t come,” — Christina Farrell, first deputy commissioner, New York City Emergency Management Department
