Trump Restores Law Enforcement Funds to New York After GOP Fury
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters before departing the White House, Friday, Sept. 26, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Julia Demaree Nikhinson)
President Donald Trump on Friday reinstated $187 million in federal law enforcement and counterterrorism funding to New York, undoing sweeping cuts that had slashed the state’s security budget by more than 80%.
The initial funding reduction sparked bipartisan backlash, including from Governor Kathy Hochul (D-NY) and New York Republicans, who warned the move left the nation’s top terror target dangerously exposed, with Hochul accusing the administration of targeting the state for political reasons.
“I am pleased to advise that I reversed the cuts made to Homeland Security and Counterterrorism for New York City and State,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “It was my Honor to do so.”
The Homeland Security Department initially defended the cuts, announced in full just last week, as consistent with program requirements. Yet, after discussions with other federal agencies, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) said it chose to restore the funds so New York would have sufficient resources to address “evolving threats.”
“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,” wrote Hochul in a news release on Friday. “I’m glad President Trump heard our call and reversed course.”
Representative Mike Lawler (R-NY) also applauded the move in a Friday statement, calling the earlier cuts “unacceptable” and a “direct threat to the safety of New Yorkers.”
In another Friday statement, Congresswoman Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) called the cuts “a terrible idea” and thanked Trump for his quick reversal, which she said came 48 hours after she spoke to the president by phone.
In related news, earlier this week, the White House cited “unconstitutional DEI principles” in order to freeze nearly $18 billion in federal funding for major infrastructure projects in New York City.
