New York Attorney General Letitia James and Governor Kathy Hochul have announced a legal victory ensuring that the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) will receive more than $33 million in anti-terrorism funding. The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York ordered the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to provide $33,898,500 in funds that had previously been withheld.
In a joint statement, James and Hochul said, “This ruling protecting critical counterterrorism funding is a victory for every New Yorker who rides our subways, buses, and commuter rails. 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.”
The dispute began when DHS reduced New York’s allocation from the Transit Security Grant Program (TSGP) from over $33 million to zero. The cut was reportedly linked to New York’s “sanctuary” policies aimed at protecting immigrant communities. Attorney General James filed a lawsuit on September 30 challenging the decision. The court has now issued a final ruling restoring the funds.
