The Trump administration is facing legal action from five major U.S. cities over alleged unlawful withholding of cash by the Department of Homeland Security to prevent terrorism and nuclear threats. The complaint, which was brought by Boston, San Francisco, Chicago, Denver, and Seattle, claims that the government has not provided financing for 2025 and has not paid cities back for pertinent security costs since February.
The Securing the Communities initiative was designed to assist communities in becoming ready for potential terrorist or nuclear strikes. Over time, it spread to 13 locations after starting as a trial initiative in the New York City area in 2006. The initiative was officially approved by Congress in 2018.
Chicago filed the case first in May, and on Tuesday, the other four cities signed on. It’s the most recent in a slew of lawsuits that states and localities have filed against the Trump administration since January over the freezing or withholding of federal cash.
How much money is DHS accused of withholding
According to the lawsuit, DHS has not paid communities back since February, despite authorised security expenditures. For instance, Johnston’s office reports that Denver is still awaiting almost $300,000. In the past, Denver’s Securing the Cities monies have been utilised to provide security for both President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden’s trips, as well as for potentially targeted large athletic and musical events.
The plaintiffs stated in the case that they want to utilise the funds to assist safeguard important athletic events that will take place in the upcoming year, including as the FIFA World Cup activities in many cities and the Super Bowl in San Francisco.
For instance, the city of Seattle intended to use this year’s award to purchase 1,000 radiation detection devices that are capable of detecting terrorist weapons such as dirty bombs that may explode in a crowd. It is anticipated that the equipment would be used as part of the city’s
preparations to host World Cup games in 2026.
How have the cities used these funds in the past
According to the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the program’s cities received $300 million between 2007 and 2023, with an estimated $29 million in financing per year. Chicago and San Francisco both stated on Tuesday that they anticipated receiving around $1 million from the award program.
Legislators have already examined the program. In 2024, Rep. Troy Carter sponsored a bipartisan measure that would have mandated that the program set performance criteria and accomplish certain milestones. The measure failed to cross the finish line after passing the House in March 2024 and passing one Senate committee. In 2024, the GAO also gave DHS five suggestions on how to improve the program’s efficacy. In the end, GAO concluded that the Biden administration had either fully or partially addressed each of the five.
