Five major U.S. cities — Chicago, San Francisco, Boston, Denver, and Seattle — have filed a joint lawsuit against the Trump administration, accusing it of unlawfully halting critical federal funds intended to help protect urban areas from terrorist threats and nuclear attacks.
The lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court in Illinois, argues that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) “unconstitutionally usurped Congress’s authority” and “violated the Constitution’s separation of powers” by freezing funding under the Securing the Cities (STC) program. The plaintiffs claim the funding freeze has already impaired their ability to safeguard public safety.
“This freeze is not only unlawful — it’s dangerous,” the cities allege in the amended complaint, which expands a legal action originally launched by Chicago last month after DHS suddenly paused grant disbursements on May 14.
According to the complaint, DHS’s unexplained action has forced the cities to suspend vital counterterrorism efforts, including purchasing radiation detection equipment, halting employee training, and canceling security initiatives tied to high-profile public events such as the 2026 Super Bowl in San Francisco and upcoming FIFA World Cup matches in multiple cities.
The cities argue that the STC funds have historically supported efforts to detect and deter the use of radiological or nuclear materials by terrorist actors. These funds have also helped deploy security teams at large-scale events, including political rallies — even those hosted by Trump himself.
Since February 21, 2025, plaintiffs say they have submitted 11 reimbursement requests to DHS — all of which had been pre-approved — but have yet to receive a response. “DHS has effectively ignored plaintiffs’ requests while holding open the possibility that it may someday reimburse them,” the complaint reads.
In one instance, a DHS employee allegedly told San Francisco officials, “There is a pause on disbursements. I have no information on when you can expect the payment.”
The funding freeze comes despite a 2018 law — the Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction Act — that mandated DHS to support high-risk urban areas through STC grants. Cities such as Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, Washington D.C., and later San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, and Denver, were identified as top-priority zones.
Due to the funding cutoff:
Chicago has delayed renewing software licenses for radiation detection systems.
Boston has postponed acquiring critical radiological detectors for firefighters.
San Francisco halted procurement of mobile radiation sensors.
Seattle suspended the purchase of 1,000 personal radiation detectors.
Denver is unable to deploy a $263,000 mobile security unit, leaving it unused in storage.
San Francisco City Attorney David Chiu condemned the freeze, saying, “The Securing the Cities grant allows jurisdictions across the country to prevent terrorist and nuclear attacks, yet the Trump administration illegally yanked this funding with no explanation. Keeping our communities safe should be a top priority — not a political casualty.”
The cities are now asking the court to compel DHS to release the withheld funds and restore essential public safety programs before further damage is done
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