Hochul Blasts $87M Counterterrorism Shortfall

Governor Kathy Hochul said on September 1 that New York is still missing $87 million in federal counterterrorism funding nearly a year after the Trump administration cut the state’s homeland security allocation by $187 million, or 86%. In remarks in Albany, Hochul said the unreleased money supports intelligence operations, transit hub security, bomb squads, training and equipment for police and sheriffs across the state. She framed the dispute as a public-safety issue and called on President Donald Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to release the funds immediately. ### Where does the $87 million figure come from? The $87 million is the remainder of a larger cut the Trump administration made last year to New York’s counterterrorism and homeland security funding, according to Hochul’s office. The governor said the administration reduced the state’s funding by $187 million in 2025, then later restored only $100 million, leaving New York short by $87 million. (governor.ny.gov) Patch reported in October 2025 that the administration had moved to reinstate $187 million in counterterrorism grants after a federal judge blocked the cuts. But Hochul’s September 1 statement said the full amount never arrived and that the state is still waiting on the remaining balance. ### What programs does the money pay for? FEMA’s Homeland Security Grant Program provides the underlying funding stream, and Hochul’s office said the grants support local law enforcement and regional homeland security preparedness efforts. (governor.ny.gov) The uses listed by the governor include intelligence operations, security at transit hubs, planning, equipment purchases, training and preparedness work for sheriffs and police departments. (patch.com) Hochul’s September 1 remarks were more specific about the affected operations. She said the missing funds amount to “defunding” NYPD intelligence analysts, FDNY emergency personnel, National Guard units assigned to major transit hubs, bomb squads, and police and sheriff’s departments from Long Island to Westchester to Buffalo. Earlier state statements tied the broader $187 million reduction to New York’s 12 certified bomb squads and to training at the State Preparedness Training Center, which hosts major exercises for bomb technicians, canine handlers and tactical teams. (governor.ny.gov) ### Why is Hochul raising this now? September 1 is 10 days before the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, and Hochul invoked that date directly in her Albany remarks. (governor.ny.gov) She said New York remains “the nation’s number one terrorist target” and argued that withholding the money undermines long-standing federal support for the state’s security posture. (ar.governor.ny.gov) The timing also follows months of public pressure from Hochul over homeland security funding. In June, her office announced nearly $140 million in federal funding for counterterrorism and emergency preparedness efforts statewide, including $133 million for preparedness and counterterrorism work and $6.6 million for county emergency management agencies. That announcement underscored how heavily New York relies on annual federal grant cycles for these programs. (governor.ny.gov) ### What exactly did Hochul say? Hochul said, “By holding this funding hostage, the Trump Administration is defunding the police,” according to her office’s September 1 release. In the accompanying transcript, she said the missing money affects NYPD intelligence analysts, FDNY responders, National Guard transit security units and bomb squads. The governor directed her demand at Trump and Mullin, saying they should “stop playing games and fully fund our vital counterterrorism efforts.” She also said the administration should “release the $87 million you owe us.” (governor.ny.gov) ### How is the federal grant program supposed to work? The Homeland Security Grant Program was created in 2003 after the September 11 attacks and includes the State Homeland Security Program, the Urban Areas Security Initiative and Operation Stonegarden, according to Hochul’s office. (governor.ny.gov) Under the State Homeland Security Program and Urban Areas Security Initiative, 80% of the funding goes to local entities and 20% is reserved for state projects. That structure helps explain why state officials describe the shortfall as hitting both New York City operations and law-enforcement agencies elsewhere in the state. Hochul’s office said the unreleased funds cover local preparedness and response capabilities as well as statewide planning, equipment and training. ### What happens next? President Trump and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin are the federal officials Hochul publicly asked to act, and FEMA is the agency through which the money would be released, according to the governor’s office. (governor.ny.gov) As of September 1, Hochul said New York had waited “nearly one year” for the remaining $87 million. The next public marker is September 11, when New York will mark the 25th anniversary of the attacks that led to the creation of the Homeland Security Grant Program. (governor.ny.gov) Hochul’s demand leaves the White House, DHS and FEMA facing pressure to say before then whether the remaining funds will be sent. (governor.ny.gov)