Judge Blocks Feds From Cutting $34M In NY Counterterrorism Funds: What To Know

NEW YORK CITY — A federal judge temporarily blocked the Trump administration from withholding nearly $34 million in MTA counterterrorism funds on Wednesday.

Judge Lewis Kaplan in his ruling said that the without the funds, New York would be forced to "significantly reduce its police presence and its counterterrorism activities.”

Kaplan also noted that the state would likely be able to prove its claim that the Trump administration tried to punish it for not cooperating with its deportation program.

The judge argued that the federal counterterrorism funds, created after the Sept. 11 attacks, can be distributed “solely on the risk of terrorist activities."

Before the ruling, NYPD Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said the cuts would be a "devastating blow to our counterterrorism and intelligence programs in New York City."

“To be blunt, this is the difference between a city that prevents the next attack and a city left exposed to it. Counterterrorism funding cannot be a political issue. It cannot rise and fall based on partisan wins," she added.

In addition, a federal judge on Tuesday blocked the Trump administration from cutting $187 million in Homeland Security Grant Program funding meant for the state.

Funding would have dropped by 86 percent, according to Governor Kathy Hochul. New York were allocated $230 million in previous years but would only get about $30 millions if the cuts went through.

“A Republican administration literally defunding the police is the height of hypocrisy — and walking away from the fight against terrorism in the number one terrorist target in America is utterly shocking," Hochul said on Tuesday.