A New York federal judge on Thursday ordered the Trump administration to send $34 million in anti-terrorism grants to the MTA — calling its abrupt bid to yank the cash a “blatant violation of the law.”
Manhattan federal Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to disperse the funds to the Big Apple to be used to “help protect the people who every day ride the MTA’s subways, commuter trains and buses and who use its bridges and tunnels against terrorist attacks.”
FEMA had sent a presentation to congressional staffers in September revealing that it would be withholding the funds — which would in part lead to fewer cops patrolling the subway — because of New York City’s status as a sanctuary city, the ruling said.
Michael Nagle
“Having considered all of the evidence, this court now holds that the withholding of these funds is arbitrary, capricious, and a blatant violation of the law,” the judge wrote.
Kaplan noted in his ruling that New York City has “remained a prime target” for terrorists after the Sept.11 attacks, and that, according to the NYPD, “the subways alone have been the subject of at least eight terrorist plots” since that devastating day.
The funding grants, which were created in the wake of 9/11, are meant to be disbursed solely based on the risk of terrorist activities.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson said earlier this month that the sudden decision to withhold the funding was meant to root out wasteful government spending.
But DHS “does not dispute the authenticity” of the document that divulged that the funds were in fact being yanked because of New York City’s status as a sanctuary city — a term that describes cities that limit their cooperation with the administration’s aggressive deportation efforts, the ruling said.
DHS officials did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Thursday.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Attorney General Letitia James issued a statement cheering the decision.
“This ruling protecting critical counterterrorism funding is a victory for every New Yorker who rides our subways, buses, and commuter rails,” they wrote.
“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.”
