Hochul and Mamdani demand the $87M in federal counterterrorism funds still withheld; Hochul: Trump is "defunding the police"

At a Sept. 1 joint press conference with Mayor Mamdani, Hochul called on President Trump and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin to release $87M in FEMA Homeland Security Grant Program money she says is still owed to New York. Her office's timeline: DHS cut New York's 2025 HSGP allocation by $187M (86%); Trump posted on Truth Social in October 2025 that he had reversed the cuts; New York has since received $100M, following a federal judge's order, leaving ~$87M outstanding. The state itemizes the gap as $63.3M in UASI cuts (NYC -$55.7M; Nassau, Suffolk, Westchester and Yonkers -$948K each; Port Authority -$3.8M) and $17.7M in SHSP cuts spread across every county. Hochul said the funding covers NYPD intelligence analysts, FDNY radiological response, Joint Task Force Empire Shield, 12 state bomb squads and county/sheriff equipment and training. She framed the withholding as "defunding the police" and "revenge on a blue state" ahead of the 9/11 25th anniversary; Democratic members of Congress (Jeffries, Gillibrand, Meng, Kennedy, Goldman, Latimer, Morelle, Manion) issued supporting statements. Fox News reported it had reached out to the White House and DHS; no federal response was published as of Sept. 1 afternoon. The $187M/86% cut figure and the "promise" are the governor's characterization, sourced to her release. Blakeman had not publicly responded as of this entry.

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