"What else could Defendants' decisions to cut funding to specific counterterrorism programming by conspicuous round-numbered amounts-including by slashing off the millions-place digits of awarded sums-be if not arbitrary and capricious? Neither a law degree nor a degree in mathematics is required to deduce that no plausible, rational formula could produce this result. Nor could any reasonable, data-driven approach have resulted in the obviously manual increases in awards to favored jurisdictions."
United States District Judge, Mary McElroy, just issued binding orders favoring Plaintiffs and restoring grant funding under the original August 1, 2025 grant awards:
https://www.courtlistener.com/docket/71490307/53/state-of-illinois-v-noem/
- Vacated all three DHS actions
- Restored HSGP funding to the August 1, 2025 NOFO amounts
- Restored HSGP performance period (Sept 2025–Aug 2028)
- Restored EMPG performance period (Oct 2024–Sept 2027)
- Removed the population certification requirement
- Permanently barred DHS from enforcing similar conditions
- Ordered DHS to disburse funds normally
*Credit to the County EM Caucus for the numerical summary! Thanks, Nick!
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Mary Jo Flynn-Nevins
IAEM Second Vice President
Chief of Emergency Services
Sacramento County OES, McClellan CA
(916) 874-4671
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