A bipartisan group of 78 U.S. House members urged the Federal Emergency Management Administration to end a freeze on grants for security at synagogues, other places of worship and other nonprofit organizations.
The lawmakers, led by Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), called the Nonprofit Security Grant Program “one of the most effective and critical programs for protecting the Jewish community and all faith-based communities from attack” on Friday.
The Anti-Defamation League’s director of federal policy and strategy, Lauren Wolman, called the program “a lifeline for vulnerable institutions.”
“Ensuring the swift and efficient disbursement of these funds is essential to safeguarding communities in the face of growing threats,” Wolman said.
In a letter to Cameron Hamilton, FEMA’s acting administrator, the lawmakers sought a resumption of the funding that helps nonprofits protect themselves against the possibility of a terrorist attack.
They said that institutions that have already been awarded such grants have seen their money held up by the new administration “at a time when hate and violence against faith-based communities across this country are at historic levels.”
The House members asked the Trump administration to explain why the grants no longer are going out, and requested a briefing by April 1 before any final decisions are made on allocations.
“From bollards to prevent vehicular attacks, reinforced doors to keep intruders out, CCTV cameras to monitor threats and emergency alert systems that allow rapid response, the Nonprofit Security Grant Program has ensured faith-based institutions are equipped with vital tools to prevent loss of life in the case of an attack,” the lawmakers wrote.
They noted that the Margolin Hebrew Academy in Memphis used such funds to install access control doors that prevented an armed gunman from entering the school, and impact-resistant window filming bought with a federal grant prevented bullets fired at the Jewish Family Service in Denver from penetrating the building.
The urgency for such money has only grown since the spike of Jew-hatred following the Hamas-led Oct. 7, 2023 terror attacks in southern Israel.
The lawmakers said that the FBI recorded 2,699 reported hate crimes based on religion in 2023, with a record 63% blamed on antisemitism.
“The administration has made clear its goal to protect Americans from terrorist threats both foreign and domestic, as well as to respond to the rise in hate crimes,” the lawmakers wrote to Hamilton.
They added that the grant program “is critical to fulfilling that goal.”
“The program has long enjoyed bipartisan support, with lawmakers across the political spectrum recognizing that protecting places of worship and community institutions is not a partisan issue,” they wrote.
Besides Gottheimer, the letter was led by Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), Gabe Amo (D-R.I.), Michael McCaul (R-Texas), Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) and Max Miller (R-Ohio).
Gottheimer’s congressional rival in the New Jersey Democratic gubernatorial primary, Rep. Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.) also signed the letter.