03.22.19

Durbin Informs Illinois Religious Institutions Of Nonprofit Security Grant Funding

Federal grant program assists facilities in building and sustaining capabilities necessary to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism

CHICAGO – Following the massacre at Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand, U.S. Senator Dick Durbin (D-IL), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent letters to religious institutions and houses of worship across Illinois to make them aware of an important federal funding opportunity for nonprofit organizations to ensure they have the necessary resources to improve their security.  Durbin helped secure $60 million in nonprofit security grant funding for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2019, which was signed into law last month. 

“Religious institutions and houses of worship should be places where people can safely and freely exercise their constitutionally protected right to worship.  Unfortunately, all too often churches, mosques, synagogues, and other religious institutions are also targets for hate crimes, ranging from vandalism to violent attacks,” Durbin wrote.  “In light of this ongoing threat, we must ensure that nonprofit organizations have the necessary resources to improve their security.”  

Should an institution wish to apply for funding, these Fiscal Year 2019 grant opportunities will be posted in April.  Institutions located in Chicago or Cook County are eligible for urban nonprofit security grants, and institutions located outside of Cook County are eligible for statewide nonprofit security grants.  Instructions for completing either of these applications is available on the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA)’s website at the following address: www2.illinois.gov/iema/ITTF/Pages/Grants.aspx.  

Last Congress, Durbin introduced the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act, which would enhance the federal government’s efforts to prevent domestic terrorism by requiring federal law enforcement agencies to regularly assess those threats and provide training and resources to assist state, local, and tribal law enforcement in addressing these threats.  He plans to reintroduce this legislation soon.

Full text of the letter is available below:

March 21, 2019

To the leadership of your institution:

I am writing to make you aware of an important federal funding opportunity for nonprofit organizations.

Religious institutions and houses of worship should be places where people can safely and freely exercise their constitutionally protected right to worship.  Unfortunately, all too often churches, mosques, synagogues, and other religious institutions are also targets for hate crimes, ranging from vandalism to violent attacks.  In recent years, we have been horrified to see shootings at the Sikh Temple of Wisconsin in Oak Creek, Wisconsin; Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina; the Tree of Life Synagogue in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; and, most recently, the massacre at Al Noor Mosque and Linwood Mosque in Christchurch, New Zealand.  It is clear that these domestic terrorist attacks are part of a broader pattern of violence motivated by hate, and we must take this threat seriously.

The Department of Homeland Security has recognized the particular threat posed by violent domestic extremists who target racial and religious minorities, noting in a May 2017 joint intelligence bulletin with the Federal Bureau of Investigation that “lone actors and small cells within the white supremacist extremist (WSE) movement likely will continue to pose a threat of lethal violence.”

In light of this ongoing threat, we must ensure that nonprofit organizations have the necessary resources to improve their security.  Recently, I helped secure $60 million in nonprofit security grant funding for the Department of Homeland Security in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2019, which was signed into law last month.  Of this funding, $50 million is set aside for urban areas.  These grant programs assist facilities in building and sustaining the capabilities necessary to prevent, protect against, mitigate, respond to, and recover from acts of terrorism.

Should your institution wish to apply for funding, these Fiscal Year 2019 grant opportunities will be posted in April.  Institutions located in Chicago or Cook County are eligible for urban nonprofit security grants, and institutions located outside of Cook County are eligible for statewide nonprofit security grants.  You can find the instructions on completing either of these applications on the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (IEMA)’s website at the following address: www2.illinois.gov/iema/ITTF/Pages/Grants.aspx.  If you need any assistance, please contact my office at (202) 224-2152.

We must be proactive in protecting religious institutions against the threat of hate crimes and domestic terrorism, and I will also continue my efforts to prevent and counter this threat through legislation like the Domestic Terrorism Prevention Act that I will reintroduce in the near future.  And I will continue to work with all communities across Illinois and the nation to combat the hatred and bigotry behind this threat.

I will continue working with my colleagues to support the protection of nonprofit organizations, including religious institutions like yours, from terrorist attacks.  If you need any further assistance, please do not hesitate to contact my office.