Cities sue DHS over reimbursement for Congress-approved ‘Securing the Cities’ counterterrorism funds

Chicago, Boston, Denver, San Francisco, and Seattle have filed suit after 11 requests for reimbursements for expenditures, previously approved by the department, have been ignored since February.

The plaintiffs call the DHS’s refusal to immediately reimburse cities unconstitutional. The program, which grants cities funding to prepare against nuclear and terrorist attacks, is known as Securing the Cities. It was first established in New York in 2006, and by 2018, the program was authorized by Congress. Estimated annual funding for the program is approximately $29 million.

“Congress enacted Securing the Cities and required DHS to provide resources to local governments to implement the program,” according to the lawsuit. “DHS cannot override Congress’s judgment by freezing congressionally appropriated funding.”

The plaintiffs argue in the lawsuit that the DHS’s

Continue reading