Trump admin reinstates $187M in counterterrorism funding grants to NY following uproar

The Trump administration is reinstating $187 million in counterterrorism funding grants to New York following outcry from the NYPD and a direct appeal from Gov. Kathy Hochul.

A Federal Emergency Management Agency spokesperson confirmed Friday that the White House was reversing the cuts to funds supporting bomb squads, patrols around sensitive targets like houses of worship, intelligence analysts and tech like radiation detectors to monitor for explosives.

A judge had temporarily blocked FEMA, which administers the grant program, from disbursing the cash earlier this week, after being sued by New York and 11 over Democratic-leaning states that saw reductions that they argued were illegally politically motivated.

“We are grateful for the partnership of the state of New York, and today are announcing full funding of HSGP grants to effectively counter and combat security threats within the Empire State,” a FEMA spokesperson said, confirming the reversal, first reported by the New York Times.

“President Trump and [DHS] Secretary [Kristi] Noem are committed to providing critical HSGP resources where they are needed most. FEMA works closely with our state and local partners to understand their needs and deliver grant funding directly into the hands of those who will utilize those funds most effectively,” the statement said.

Hochul and Trump spoke at length Sunday evening, when the Empire State was first informed of the scale of the cuts, and he promised the governor that he would look into the matter, a source familiar with the situation told The Post.

“From the moment these devastating cuts were announced, I made it clear that New York would not stand by while our law enforcement and counterterrorism operations were defunded,” Hochul wrote in a statement Friday.

“I’m glad President Trump heard our call and reversed course, ensuring our state has the resources necessary to support law enforcement and keep our families safe,” the governor said.

The cuts would have been devastating to the NYPD’s counterterrorism efforts, and would leave New Yorkers vulnerable to attacks, Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch had warned.

Tisch noted that New York City has faced over 70 terrorist plots since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks.

“This reversal ensures that the women and men of the NYPD will continue to have the resources that they need to keep the city safe from terrorism,” the commish said Friday, during an unrelated press conference.

“This outcome is a recognition that New York remains the number one terrorist target in the world, and that the NYPD plays a central role in protecting this city from those threats.”

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) claimed that the funding cuts were part of an effort by the Trump administration “to target New York.”

“We fought back and won,” Schumer said in a statement Friday. “He saw the writing on the wall: his public safety cuts were illegal, dangerous, and wrong.”

But sources familiar with the cuts described it as a mistake that occurred in part due to FEMA’s use of a “risk methodology” that led to funding allocation changes, without the White House’s knowledge.

MTA Chair Janno Lieber noted at an unrelated press conference Friday that an additional $33 million in security-related grants that had been canceled by the feds would also be restored.

Republicans in the state’s congressional delegation, including Staten Island Rep. Nicole Malliotakis and Hudson Valley Rep. Mike Lawler,  also cheered the reversal publicly Friday — with several saying they had made direct appeals to Trump and the White House over recent days.

“From day one, I made clear that these cuts were unacceptable and posed a direct threat to the safety of New Yorkers,” Lawler wrote in a statement.

“New York remains the nation’s top terror target, and cutting this funding was never acceptable,” Malliotakis said. “I spoke with President Trump on Wednesday, and within 48 hours this critical funding was fully restored.” 

Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY) had “multiple conversations with many people” in the White House about restoring the funds, a source said.

Long Island Rep. Andrew Garbarino (R-NY), chair of the House Homeland Security Committee, was also quick to call for restoring the funds this week.

“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,” Garbarino said.

On Friday, the Homeland panel chairman added in a statement, “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,” he said. “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.”