Homeland Security funds eye targeted violence, terrorism prevention

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has allocated 43 grants totaling $20 million to address targeted violence and terrorism prevention.

The Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) Grant Program for Fiscal Year 2022 (FY22) seeks to aid in preventing domestic violent extremism while bolstering efforts to counter online radicalization and mobilization to violence.

“Working in partnership with one another is how we best prevent acts of terrorism and targeted violence,” DHS Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro N. Mayorkas said. “Through the grant awards we are announcing today, we are equipping local communities and organizations – including those historically underserved – with needed resources so they can become more effective partners, strengthen our security, and help the American people feel safe and secure in our daily lives.”

Per officials, 11 TVTP awards have been extended to organizations working with underserved populations often the targets of attacks, including two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (Alcorn State University in Mississippi and Southern University and A&M College in Louisiana) and two organizations serving the LGBTQ+ community.

Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Rep. Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) commended the DHS grant allocation.

“As outlined in the Department’s Equity Action Plan released earlier this year, advancing equity in DHS’s efforts to prevent domestic violent extremism is critical,” Thompson noted via a statement. “While we all understand we still have a ways to go in this effort, it is clear we finally have an administration that understands this effort requires a whole-of-government approach. The actions of the administration, along with its partnerships with state and local governments, nonprofits and academia, make this clear.”