Policy

Security funding for religious orgs. boosted by states

California, Florida, New York and Texas recently announced reinforced efforts.
Orthodox Jewish men pass New York City police guarding a Brooklyn synagogue on Dec. 11, 2019. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

Governors are bolstering funding for security upgrades at U.S. religious organizations and nonprofits and calling on the federal government to do more, as the Israel-Hamas war escalates and civil rights groups document alarming incidents of antisemitism and Islamophobia in the U.S.

Funding recently announced by California, Florida, New York and Texas builds on $305 million in federal nonprofit security grants for last fiscal year. Houses of worship and nonprofits at risk of a terrorist attack can use the federal grants to hire guards, install alarm systems, reinforce doors and make emergency plans, among other upgrades.

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