A federal judge has issued a temporary restraining order stopping the Trump administration from pulling about $34 million in counterterrorism funds from New York, saying that the cut was linked to New York’s “sanctuary city” stance.
The contested funds stem from the Rail and Transit Security Grant Program, which was created after 9/11 to help transit systems defend against biological, chemical, explosive, and other terror threats.
Judge Lewis A. Kaplan wrote that New York has “very likely” shown the funds were being targeted for political reasons — essentially a penalty for not aligning with the administration’s immigration enforcement agenda.
In his ruling, the judge underscored New York’s long history as a prime terrorism target, pointing to past attacks including the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, Sept. 11, 2001 and later subway bombing attempts.
New York Attorney General Letitia James on Tuesday filed a lawsuit against Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and her department, filing an emergency motion for a temporary restraining order and accusing them of unlawfully withholding nearly $34 million in funding sought by the state’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
Further, the judge rejected the government’s claim that funds hadn’t yet been allocated, stressing that national security interests are at stake.
This case isn’t isolated: In a separate but related move, a federal judge in Rhode Island blocked the administration from cutting $233 million in counterterrorism grants to several Democrat-led states, including New York and Illinois, ruling the cuts were likely politically motivated and possibly unlawful under the Administrative Procedure Act.
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