(The Center Square) – Seattle has joined a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security over stalled counterterrorism funding that City Attorney Ann Davison says is essential for protecting FIFA World Cup fans in 2026.
The funding in question comes from the DHS’s Securing the Cities counterterrorism program, which funds equipment the city uses to support safety planning for large events.
Seattle is set to host four to six FIFA World Cup matches next year with an anticipated 400,000 to 750,000 visitors. The Seattle Police and Fire Departments have been training to detect radioactive threats and other signs of terrorist attacks. According to the city attorney’s office, the STC program funds the equipment and personnel used for this training.
Other plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the cities of Chicago and Boston, as well as the consolidated city-counties of Denver and San Francisco.
Since Feb. 21, Seattle and the other cities filed 11 reimbursement requests for DHS-approved expenses–requests that remain unanswered, though DHS hinted it might eventually reimburse.
DHS approved more than $1.1 million for anti-terrorism gear for Seattle in March. That was paused by the Seattle Police Department after learning in May that the funds have been frozen.
“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,” Davison said in a statement.
DHS first launched the STC program as a pilot in 2007 to reduce the risk of terrorism attacks. In 2023, DHS’s Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Office awarded approximately $300 million to 13 local governments.
Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said the STC funding freeze is another example of the Trump administration not putting safety at the forefront.
“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,” Harrell said.
DHS did not respond to The Center Square’s request for comment at the time of this publication.
