Congresswoman Pou and 33 Democrats Demand Release of Security Funds for Houses of Worship

WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Nellie Pou (D-NJ–09), a member of the House Committee on Homeland Security, has joined 33 House Democrats calling on the Trump administration to immediately release funding to protect houses of worship under increasing threat.

“It is absolutely unacceptable that the Trump administration is dragging its feet on the awarding of these vital security grants,” said Congresswoman Pou. “As domestic extremism and terrorist threats to synagogues and other religious and community centers explode, Congress appropriated these grant funds to help support readiness. Americans have an unshakeable right to worship in peace and security. Congress deserves answers and our nation deserves action from this administration.”

In their letter to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and the recently resigned former head of FEMA, Pou and her colleagues demand transparency and answers from the Trump government.

“We are alarmed that the administration has not awarded the $275 million that Congress made available for NSGP in fiscal year 2025 given the escalating threats that nonprofit organizations – including synagogues, churches, and mosques – continue to experience,” the Members wrote. “Further, FEMA continues to disregard the congressionally mandated outreach, engagement, and educational assistance to advise nonprofits on how to apply for NSGP.”

Members expressed frustration with the Trump administration’s refusal to share basic program information with Congress: “In further departure from precedent, the administration has yet to share with Congress which nonprofits received NSGP awards from the National Security Supplemental funding, despite awards having been made months ago and repeated bipartisan requests. Congress has invested historic levels in NSGP and the administration’s refusal to share information with Congress hurts the ability of Congress to properly assess resource needs.”

Congresswoman Pou is also the top Democrat on the House panel tasked with overseeing the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the 2028 Summer Olympics, and celebrations of America’s upcoming 250th birthday. Throughout 2025, she has helped lead efforts to ensure security for these events and that they receive full support from the federal government.

A copy of the letter signed by Congresswoman Pou and 33 House Democrats is available here. The text is below.

Dear Secretary Noem and Mr. Richardson:

We write to you out of shared concern about the status of the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) awards.

FEMA was required by law to publish the FY 2025 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) for NSGP by May 14, 2025, but chose not to comply. The administration finally released the FY 2025 NSGP NOFO on July 28, but it lacked basic information necessary to move the application process forward and to fruition, such as when FEMA planned to administer the application process, make award decisions, and release funding to nonprofit organizations. To date, FEMA still has not shared this information with States or nonprofit organizations, nor has FEMA indicated whether the period of performance for awarded projects has already begun. States have repeatedly asked FEMA for this information, and they have received no response. This has also created a chilling effect on faith-based and nonprofit organizations that are hesitant to participate in an opaque application process.

We understand that FEMA plans to continue to withhold the $275 million in FY 2025 NSGP funds and, prior to the government shutdown, awards for nonprofit organizations were scheduled to take several months. Further, FEMA continues to disregard the congressionally mandated outreach, engagement, and educational assistance to advise nonprofits on how to apply for NSGP. As of the date of this letter, FEMA has not held a single webinar to advise nonprofits on how to apply for these needed funds. Because of FEMA’s delays and lack of coordination and communication with States, many States have already opened and closed the application period for nonprofit organizations, meaning that any outreach from FEMA at this point would be too late. Other States have not opened the application process and have not communicated with faith-based and nonprofit stakeholders, leaving the process and the potential applicants in limbo.

In addition, FEMA’s FY 2025 NOFO introduced vague, new requirements and conditions that have created confusion among States and nonprofits, leaving applicants uncertain about whether their proposals would be qualified or disqualified for funding and what constituted compliance in order to receive payments from FEMA. For example, the NOFO includes language implying that eligibility for funding could depend on cooperation with Federal immigration enforcement efforts—a significant departure from past practice. FEMA also now requires States to collect and submit additional information about each nonprofit organization before awards can be made and each time nonprofits need to be reimbursed—steps that could significantly slow the process for both States and nonprofits and add undue administrative costs and burden. Such provisions have created concern that faith-based and community organizations might not be able to receive timely reimbursements from FEMA, if they receive any reimbursement at all, discouraging them further from applying for funds.

We are also deeply concerned by reports that DHS may be discriminating against Muslim organizations. In August 2025, DHS reportedly cancelled NSGP funding that had been awarded to over 40 Muslim organizations and banned their eligibility for future funding, citing “alleged affiliations with terrorist activities.” More recent reporting indicates that these cancellations may have been part of a broader attempt by DHS leadership to ban FEMA funding for all Muslim organizations. DHS has not presented evidence sufficient to justify disqualifying these organizations from receiving grant funding. 

We are alarmed that the administration has not awarded the $275 million that Congress made available for NSGP in FY 2025 given the escalating threats that nonprofit organizations—including synagogues, churches, and mosques—continue to experience. This delay comes at a time when our Nation continues to see nonprofits targeted by bad actors, which the NOFO itself acknowledges. In August, a Minneapolis Catholic Church was the site of a mass shooting that left 2 children dead and injured 21 other people.6 In September, a man opened fire and set ablaze a Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Grand Blanc, Michigan, killing 4 people and wounding 8.7 The U.S. has also seen a rise in violent antisemitic attacks, including the hostage taking incident at Congregation Beth Israel in Colleyville, Texas in 2022, and the deadly shooting outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C. earlier this year. Now is not the time for NSGP resources to be withheld from communities, nor the NOFO and grant guidance to continue to remain incomplete. 

In further departure from precedent, the administration has yet to share with Congress which nonprofits received NSGP awards from the National Security Supplemental funding, despite awards having been made months ago and repeated bipartisan requests. Congress has invested historic levels in NSGP and the administration’s refusal to share information with Congress hurts the ability of Congress to properly assess resource needs.

Therefore, we urge DHS and FEMA to take the following actions:

1. Immediately clarify the timeline for the FY 2025 NSGP applications, address all other open issues or incomplete grant guidance to the State Administrative Agencies and nonprofit sub-applicants, and expedite application completion and awards to nonprofits.

2. Immediately remove the vague NOFO requirements that unduly burden States and nonprofit organizations and may ultimately prevent nonprofits from accessing funds.

3. Immediately provide Congress with the full list of nonprofits that received NSGP awards this year and continue to provide this information each time awards are made in the future.

4. Immediately begin outreach, engagement, and educational assistance to nonprofits to share essential information about the NSGP application process.

5. Immediately rescind any guidance or directives that have resulted, or could result, in violations of anti-discrimination laws within NSGP.

FEMA must take immediate steps to get the FY 2025 NSGP back on track so that FY 2026 can proceed without the present delays, inconsistencies and uncertainties, and lack of uniformity and predictability that have previously been the hallmarks and guardrails for a program serving several thousand faith-based and nonprofit applicants each grant cycle. The Administration’s own budget for FY 2026 endorsed continued NSGP funding, reflecting a shared commitment to keeping communities safe and ensuring funds reach those who need them most.

Sincerely,

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