Statement from Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison
SEATTLE (June 27, 2025) – On June 18, 2025, the City of Seattle joined with four other cities in a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security, challenging the withholding of federal funds appropriated to the cities by Congress as part of the Securing the Cities (STC) program.
STC provides federal funding to 13 cities – identified as being at a higher risk of terrorist threat – so they can implement local counterterrorism programs, training, and equipment procurement for the detection and prevention of nuclear and other terrorist threats.
On June 25, 2025, DHS released overdue funds owed to Seattle for pending reimbursements under the program. The Seattle Police Department, which facilitates the STC program, is being reimbursed $103,756.52.
However, DHS did not resume funding for equipment purchases that are part of the STC program. In Seattle’s case, that means a $1.1 million procurement of radiation detecting equipment is still on hold and no additional purchases can be made. This equipment is intended to be used for safety planning and precautions ahead of major events like the 2026 FIFA World Cup, for which Seattle is a host city.
Statement from Seattle City Attorney Ann Davison:
“We are pleased that, following our entry into the litigation, DHS released the funds for our city’s pending reimbursements. We hope this is a sign from the federal government that the Securing the Cities program will continue to run as it has for Seattle since we were added to the program in 2020. But this is just one part of what Seattle has depended on. We need funding restored for critical equipment purchases as well. Next steps are under consideration.” – City Attorney Davison
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