Just a week after a shooting at Minnesota’s Annunciation Catholic Church killed two children and injured dozens of students and parishioners, Connecticut houses of worship are now worried that federal security grant funding is in jeopardy.
Since 2004, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has provided funding to nonprofit organizations that are at heightened risk of terrorist or targeted attacks in order to strengthen their security features. These funds have been awarded to churches, synagogues, temples, mosques, and other places of worship that continue to see an increase in hate crimes.
This year, the Trump administration has brought his war on DEI to a new low by placing political and ideological requirements on recipients of these federal grants. Meanwhile, Connecticut prioritizes safety and security for places of worship, no political strings attached.
According to reporting by Hearst, nonprofits that seek these highly competitive federal grants cannot “during the term of this financial assistance award, operate any programs that advance or promote DEI, DEIA, or discriminatory equity ideology,” “engage in a discriminatory prohibited boycott” or “operate any program that benefits illegal immigrants or incentivizes illegal immigration.”
In 2019, Sens. Derek Slap, D-West Hartford, and Saud Anwar, D-South Windsor, established a statewide Nonprofit Security Grant Program. Since then, the program has awarded over $10 million in funding to help places of worship harden existing security and implement newer technology. This year, the legislature invested an additional $10 million to keep worshippers safe – regardless of their political beliefs.
Most faith-based organizations promote a message of inclusion and welcoming, offering open doors, child care and educational services, donations for food, clothing, utility assistance, housing and more for anyone in need, regardless of race, political affiliation, gender identity, sexual orientation or immigration status. With the federal government’s new requirements, many places of worship may find themselves disqualified for funding and at continued risk of violence.
With incidents of Antisemitism, Islamophobia, and attacks on immigrant communities increasing, these new federal obstacles couldn’t come at a worse time.
While the Trump administration implements ideological purity tests on houses of worship seeking to fulfill their responsibility to protect their constituencies, Connecticut continues to protect public safety and the diversity of our religious community and those they serve.
