Rep. Timothy Kennedy, D-N.Y., said Noem had decided to reduce New York City\u2019s security funding for politically motivated reasons.<\/p>\n
“It’s unconscionable: $134 million in Urban Area Security Initiative funding for the City of New York.<\/a> What compelled you to knowingly make our cities less safe with these funding cuts?” Kennedy said, referring to the Trump administration\u2019s reductions to some of the city\u2019s anti-terror transit security programs.<\/p>\n DEM REP OPENS HOUSE HEARING BY TELLING NOEM TO RESIGN IN FIERY STATEMENT<\/a><\/p>\n Secretary Kristi Noem testifies before the House Committee on Homeland Security in the Cannon House Office Building in Washington, Dec. 11, 2025. (Anna Moneymaker\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n “What compels you, your mayor and your governor, to release thousands of criminals on the streets rather than to turn them over to ICE?” Noem retorted.<\/p>\n The House of Representatives\u2019 hearing on Thursday, titled “Worldwide Threats to the Homeland,” provided lawmakers the opportunity to ask Noem and other administration officials about the country\u2019s greatest\u00a0security threats.<\/a><\/p>\n Instead, Kennedy argued that by focusing on other priorities and by trimming the urban area security fund, Noem and Trump had opened the city up to security vulnerabilities.<\/p>\n “You should resign immediately,” Kennedy said.\u00a0<\/p>\n TRUMP DECLARES SUPPORT FOR CABINET OFFICIAL AFTER REPORT HE IS CONSIDERING REPLACEMENT<\/a><\/p>\n Secretary Kristi Noem arrives to testify for the House hearing, titled “Worldwide Threats to the Homeland,” in Washington, Dec. 11, 2025. (Tom Williams\/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)<\/p>\n His attacks echoed the frustrations of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul<\/a>, who earlier this year similarly blasted the reduction in the city’s funds.<\/p>\n “The shocking actions of Washington Republicans to slash these funds and defund the police put New York City at risk,” Hochul said in a press release.<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\n “We will not tolerate these cuts; New York will take every action available to us \u2014 including the courts \u2014 to ensure the MTA gets this critical funding to keep millions of riders safe.”<\/p>\n NOEM SAYS ZOHRAN MAMDANI COULD BE ‘VIOLATING THE CONSTITUTION’ WITH ADVICE ON EVADING ICE AGENTS<\/a><\/p>\n The funding referred to by Kennedy was reinstated when a Manhattan federal judge ordered the administration to unlock that funding in October.<\/p>\n The Trump administration had initially held up FEMA\u2019s disbursement of the security funding as a larger effort to get cities around the country to cooperate with immigration-related security efforts.<\/p>\n New York Gov. Kathy Hochul blasted the reduction in the city’s funds. (Lev Radin\/Pacific Press\/LightRocket via Getty Images)<\/p>\n Noem pushed back on the characterization that the Trump administration had cut the legs out of critical funding from New York, noting that New York City hadn\u2019t utilized those funds at the time of their withholding.<\/p>\n “New York did not spend [the funds] \u2014 they did not spend,” Noem said as Kennedy continued to shout over her.<\/p>\n Noem also sparred with Rep. Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., who accused Noem of deporting immigrants with pending applications for asylum \u2014 something Goldman contested wasn’t permissible under current law.<\/p>\n “If your department then deports anyone with an ongoing asylum application, you are violating the law, correct?” Goldman asked Noem. “If you have an open asylum case, you are here lawfully. But the problem that we are seeing around the country is that you are not following the law. I think [the law] needs to be changed. But you can’t just decide that you’re not going to follow the law and deport people who have ongoing applications. Unfortunately, that is exactly what’s happening.”<\/p>\n![\"DHS](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/kristi-noem-at-homeland-threats-hearing.jpg\")
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