A federal court ordered the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to give millions in anti-terrorism funding to the MTA on Thursday.
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ruled on Oct. 16 that DHS must award $33,898,500 in anti-terrorism funding owed to the MTA. The federal agency last month had tried to claw back the funding meant for the state-run agency’s sprawling transportation system in a city that suffered the country’s worst terrorist attack on Sept. 11, 2001.
The ruling follows a NYS attorney general’s office lawsuit filed on Sept. 30 after the federal agency cut the state’s Transit Security Grant Program allocation from more $33 million to zero. Attorney General Letitia James, who was indicted by the feds last week over alleged bank fraud charges, said the cuts were an “unlawful decision” that was allegedly intended to “punish” New York over immigration protection.
Just a day before the ruling, a judge extended a temporary restraining order (TRO) blocking the cuts to Oct. 22.
Gov. Kathy Hochul and James applauded the major win in a joint statement to the media.
“This ruling protecting critical counterterrorism funding is a victory for every New Yorker who rides our subways, buses, and commuter rails,” the statement read. “A court has once again affirmed that this administration cannot punish New York by arbitrarily wiping out critical security resources and defunding law enforcement that keeps riders safe. We will always fight to ensure that New York gets the resources we need to support our law enforcement and keep people safe.”
Hochul said on Oct. 9 that the MTA was the only agency of 21 nationwide applicants to not receive funding through the grant program, which the Federal Emergency Management Agency initiated after the 9/11 terror attacks in NYC and Washington, D.C.
The Transit Security Grant is designed to protect mass transit systems from security threats. The MTA carries a significant portion of the United States’ mass transit riders, with over 6 million daily trips taken on Metro-North, the Long Island Rail Road, and NYC Transit.
amNewYork contacted DHS for comment and is awaiting a response.
In a separate funding issue this month, the White House reversed DHS’s cut of $187 million in counterterrorism funding New York’s law enforcement on Oct 3. This federal money supports intelligence operations, transit hub security, emergency preparedness, and equipment purchases for local law enforcement agencies.
