Seattle (June 18, 2025) – Today, Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison announced her decision to join a multi-jurisdiction lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over its freezing of funding under the Securing the Cities (STC) counterterrorism program.
The amended complaint from Seattle and four other local governments – the City of Chicago, the City of Boston, The City and County of Denver, and the City and County of San Francisco – was filed Monday morning in federal court in Chicago.
The program, created by DHS in 2007, provides high-risk urban areas with critical resources to prevent nuclear and other terrorist threats. Since 2020, DHS has provided funding to the City of Seattle, which operates its STC duties through the Seattle Police Department.
In February of this year, DHS began stopping funding – for Seattle and all regions included in the STC program.
“By stopping these funds, DHS incomprehensibly reduces preventative safety steps cities can take to support the readiness of Seattle and all STC cities to respond to dangerous terrorism events,” said City Attorney Davison. “It is crucial that we have these Congressionally mandated funds. Withholding them is illegal, leaving us with no other choice than to ask the court to intervene and restore funds from an essential program that serves a critical public safety purpose.”
In Seattle, uses for STC funds include the purchase of radiation detecting equipment, training, and program staff. A procurement of more than $1.1 million in anti-terrorism equipment was approved by DHS in March, but paused by SPD after learning in May that the funds have been frozen.
“Withholding this critical funding for counterterrorism tools and weapon detection is yet another example of the Trump Administration putting politics above the safety of our residents — just as they have with threats to funding that goes toward investigating crimes against children or supporting survivors of sexual assault,” said Mayor Bruce Harrell. “Just as we have already won in court to keep federal funding flowing, we will continue to do everything in our power to support the safety of the people of Seattle.”
STC funds also support safety planning for high-profile events in Seattle and other cities, as well as major sporting events.
Seattle is hosting the FIFA Club World Cup now and the FIFA World Cup in 2026, games that will be attended by hundreds of thousands of people from around the world. In preparation, the Seattle Fire and Police Departments engage in training aimed at detecting radioactive threats and preventing terrorist attacks. The equipment and personnel for this training are funded through STC.
“There has been no explanation from DHS or the federal government about why these funds are being withheld,” said City Attorney Davison. “So now, I have to act to protect Seattle and our ability to protect ourselves from potential terrorism.”
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