DHS revokes $18.5M in 'woke' grants, cites national security risks
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently revoked almost $20 million in grants, including grants connected to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, calling them 'wasteful' and 'misdirected.'
In a July 17 press release, DHS announced that it is 'gutting dozens of partisan and wasteful grants that failed to counter terrorism threats, saving taxpayers $18.5 Million.'
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently revoked almost $20 million in grants, including grants connected to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) programs, calling them “wasteful” and “misdirected.”
In a July 17 press release, DHS announced that it is “gutting dozens of partisan and wasteful grants that failed to counter terrorism threats, saving taxpayers $18.5 Million.”
Specifically, DHS is cutting grants from the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3), which, it claims, do not effectively combat threats from abroad.
DHS stated that CP3 “had become a cash cow for radical activists under the Biden Administration—funneling taxpayer dollars to push woke, partisan agendas and silencing dissent.” The grants, DHS asserts, have “no legitimate nexus to protecting the homeland.”
According to DHS, millions of dollars of grants went to activist organizations that promoted progressive gender ideology, LGBTQ advocacy, DEI initiatives, and “anti-extremism” programs. Hundreds of thousands of dollars went to promoting “radical gender ideology” in schools.
One organization whose grants were cut, CenterLink, states on its website that it “strengthens, supports, and connects LGBTQ community centers.” This includes centers at college campuses, including Yale University and Grand Valley State University.
Another grant recipient, Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders (SMYAL), is dedicated to providing programs for LGBT youth, ages 6-24. It is advertised by college LGBT centers, including at George Mason University.
“These cancellations reflect DHS’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and national security,” a Senior DHS official says in the press release. “By eliminating wasteful and ideologically driven programs, we are redirecting resources to initiatives that uphold American values, respect the rule of law, and effectively combat terrorism and violence.”
This is not the first time that DHS has targeted DEI initiatives. Campus Reform reported in April that DHS canceled $2.7 million in grants to Harvard University after the school rejected the Trump administration’s demands to eliminate DEI policies and better address anti-Semitism.
DHS Secretary Kristi Noem announced the decision, citing national security concerns. One grant, for $800,000, reportedly “branded conservatives as far-right dissidents in a shockingly skewed study.”
Campus Reform also reported in April that the National Institutes of Health (NIH) froze all grants to Columbia University amid a federal investigation into anti-Semitism at the school.
Later, in July, the National Science Foundation (NSF) canceled around $1.1 billion in grants, mostly targeting projects. Nearly 90 percent of canceled grants included DEI-related terms.
On its website, NSF describes that it is eliminating some grants to “ensure that taxpayer dollars are spent in the most efficient way possible consistent with each agency’s mission.”
