President Donald Trump announced Friday he has personally reversed $187 million in funding cuts his administration made to New York’s law enforcement and counterterrorism operations after bipartisan backlash from state leaders.
The president revealed the decision on Truth Social:
“I am pleased to advise that I reversed the cuts made to Homeland Security and Counterterrorism for New York City and State. It was my Honor to do so,” Trump wrote. “Thank you for your attention to this matter!”
According to The Associated Press, the about-face followed a letter earlier this week from Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, slamming the cuts as a threat to public safety. She said the reductions represented 86% of New York’s homeland security funding, affecting the NYPD, FDNY, state police and other agencies.
The changes would have cut NYPD counterterrorism funding from $90 million to just $10 million, which Commissioner Jessica Tisch on Wednesday called “a devastating blow.” She warned the city is “the No. 1 terrorist target in the world.”
Hochul credited pushback from state officials for Trump’s reversal.
“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 said. “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.”
Republicans also pushed back. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, the only Republican representing New York City, said she told Trump directly the cuts were a “terrible idea.”
“New York remains the nation’s top terror target, and cutting this funding was never acceptable,” Malliotakis said.
Rep. Mike Lawler, a Republican from the Hudson Valley, also praised the reversal.
“The cuts were unacceptable and posed a direct threat to the safety of New Yorkers,” Lawler said. “New York remains the number one target for terrorism, and we cannot let politics put lives at risk.”
The Federal Emergency Management Agency, which administers homeland security grants, did not comment on the reversal. Earlier this week, FEMA had announced the reduced allocations, citing new rules to prevent funds from being used to “house illegal immigrants at luxury hotels, fund climate change pet projects, or empower radical organizations with unseemly ties that don’t serve the interest of the American people.”
The funding saga reflects broader tensions over this year’s emergency preparedness grants. Notices arrived two months late, allocations were announced just days before the fiscal year ended Sept. 30, and some states received far less than expected. New York’s cut was 79% below projections, Illinois saw a 69% reduction, while some territories received more than double their anticipated share.
Adding to the confusion, states must now spend grant dollars within one year instead of three, and some funding requires population counts that exclude individuals removed under immigration laws.
On Monday, 11 states including New York, along with Washington, D.C., filed suit against the administration over the funding changes. A federal judge in Rhode Island issued a temporary restraining order Tuesday requiring the Trump administration to release the full grants.
