Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro said his state has joined a lawsuit challenging the Trump administration’s decision to revoke homeland security grants.
Shapiro said the administration’s decision to abruptly revoke homeland security funding threatens public safety and critical emergency preparedness work happening across the state, including for disaster response, threat detection, and first responder support. The cuts are especially concerning, Shapiro said, as the state is gearing up for extreme weather and major events in 2026.
“The Trump Administration is cutting funding for homeland security initiatives that help us prevent acts of terrorism, respond to natural disasters, and major emergencies. Withholding that funding from Pennsylvania would be dangerous under any circumstances, but to do this just as our law enforcement officers and first responders are preparing for major events in Pennsylvania in 2026 — from the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh to the FIFA World Cup and the MLB All Star Game in Philadelphia — is completely irresponsible,” Shapiro said. “Cutting this funding would make our communities less safe — so I’m going to court to make sure Pennsylvania’s brave police officers, firefighters, and emergency management professionals get every dollar they are owed.”
The lawsuit, led by Illinois and joined by 11 other states including Pennsylvania, seeks to reverse the cuts to the Homeland Security Grant Program that the states are calling unlawful. The lawsuit also challenges new federal requirements that freeze access to a second emergency management grant until states provide FEMA with a population estimate excluding individuals removed from the U.S. under federal immigration law. The states said they cannot develop those estimates because it relies on data the states do not have access to.
Lastly, the lawsuit said new federal rules cutting the time frame states can spend federal funds from three years to just one would disadvantage the states by making it harder to coordinate with local partners and invest in long-term preparedness.
America celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 2026. That document was signed in Philadelphia. The city and the state are preparing to host millions of visitors for major events including the FIFA World Cup, the NCAA’s March Madness, the MLB All-Star Game in Philadelphia, and the NFL Draft in Pittsburgh. Philadelphia is expected to lose more than $18 million in Homeland Security Grants as a result of the Trump administration’s actions.