Facing pressure to release millions of dollars in security grants for synagogues and other nonprofit institutions, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration announced in June that it would send more than $94 million to more than 500 Jewish, faith-based organizations.
But the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a U.S. Department of Homeland Security agency, has yet to tell any of the recipients that their applications for the grants have been approved, nor has it notified the members of Congress who championed those requests.
“With antisemitism surging across the country, the Nonprofit Security Grant Program is critical to protecting synagogues and Jewish nonprofits,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-N.J.), who is Jewish, told JNS.
“FEMA and the Trump administration are leaving these organizations in the dark, refusing to share with Congress or the organizations themselves who received funding last year,” the congressman said.
Gottheimer, who led a congressional letter in March urging FEMA to release the frozen funds, was the lead signatory on a letter urging the agency to finally announce the recipients.
Gottheimer and Reps. Mike Lawler (R-N.Y.), Jared Moskowitz (D-Fla.) and Nicole Malliotakis (R-N.Y.), who complained that they were left in the dark, led the letter, which attracted 73 Democratic and Republican House members.
“As members of Congress working diligently to ensure there are resources available to faith-based institutions to secure themselves against attack, it is extremely concerning that FEMA’s reason for not providing Congress with this information is because of a perceived ‘security concern,’” the lawmakers wrote.
“FEMA has not informed Congress of the nature of this threat,” they wrote. “This is not the normal course of business.” (JNS sought comment from FEMA).
The deadline for next year’s grants is fast approaching, and Jewish groups don’t know if they need to reapply to get the money they need to improve their security in the wake of the violent attacks in Washington, D.C., and Boulder, Colo., which led to the deaths of three people.
“Without that information, they can’t submit accurate applications for this year’s grants,” Gottheimer told JNS. “This is unprecedented and completely unacceptable.”
