JTA — A nearly monthlong shutdown at the US Department of Homeland Security is halting the review of millions of dollars in security funding for nonprofits, leaving Jewish institutions such as synagogues, as well as other vulnerable groups, in limbo at a moment of heightened concern about antisemitic threats.
The most recent threat came on Thursday when an armed assailant rammed his vehicle into a large synagogue in suburban Detroit, where trained security forces shot at him, killing him before he could seriously injure anyone. A guard was wounded in the attack and is expected to recover.
The closure, dating to February 14, stems from a political standoff over immigration enforcement: US Senate Democrats are refusing to fund DHS unless the bill includes new oversight and limits on Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, while Republicans and the Trump administration insist on passing funding without those changes. The dispute intensified after the killings of US citizens in Minnesota during recent immigration operations.
Applications for the federal Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which provides funding for synagogues, schools and community centers to pay for security guards, cameras, reinforced doors, and other forms of protection, were due February 1.
But because the program is administered through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, a component of DHS, the ongoing shutdown has frozen the process before applications could be reviewed. An effort to end the shutdown failed in the Senate on Thursday.
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That means organizations that spent months preparing proposals are now waiting indefinitely to learn whether they will receive funding during a period of rising anxiety and threats. Security upgrades such as surveillance systems, bollards, access-control systems and trained guards often depend on the grants, and institutions typically plan their budgets around the expectation of federal support.
US law enforcement responds to a call at Temple Israel synagogue on March 12, 2026, in West Bloomfield Township, Michigan. (AP Photo/Corey Williams)
The grant program has become a cornerstone of security planning for Jewish institutions across the United States, especially in the wake of sometimes deadly attacks. Jewish communal security groups say the program has been one of the most successful federal efforts aimed at protecting religious institutions. Demand for the grants has surged in recent years as antisemitic incidents have climbed and security costs have soared.
According to data from the Anti-Defamation League, antisemitic incidents in the United States have reached historic highs in recent years, with Jewish institutions frequently targeted with threats, vandalism and harassment. Community leaders say the uncertainty surrounding the grants is arriving at precisely the wrong moment.
Michael Masters, CEO of the Secure Community Network, a Jewish security nonprofit, said Jewish organizations rely on federal funding to cover essential security needs, saying that it was “a challenge” that DHS was currently not processing security grant applications.
“There’s no other faith-based community in the United States that needs to spend $760 million a year, at a minimum, on security that we do,” Masters said. “That’s a reality of the threat environment that we have to adapt to, that we have adapted to.”
The NSGP is designed to distribute hundreds of millions of dollars annually to nonprofits considered at high risk of attack. Organizations submit detailed applications outlining their vulnerabilities and the security improvements they hope to fund, which FEMA then reviews and awards through state agencies.
But during a federal shutdown, most DHS personnel responsible for reviewing those applications are furloughed. As a result, the process has effectively stalled.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.
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