Nonprofit Security – Religious leaders and civil rights advocates are urging Congress to sharply increase federal funding for armed protection at houses of worship after attacks they say have killed people and shattered community safety. Their push includes a request to expand the
For years, religious communities have handled danger the way they handle most threats: quietly, urgently, and at their own expense. But after a string of attacks on places of worship in the past year—attacks that have left 11 people dead and dozens injured—leaders say the crisis has outgrown the private budgets they’ve been forced to use.
On Capitol Hill, the response has been a direct appeal to Congress to fund armed security at houses of worship, arguing that the status quo is putting congregants in harm’s way.
They are asking lawmakers to raise the Nonprofit Security Grant Program from $274.5 million to $1 billion. The Federal Emergency Management Agency manages and disperses the grant awards. “Every day that passes. that American citizens don’t have access to this money. puts us at risk. ” Jen Lader. a rabbi at Temple Israel in West Bloomfield. Mich. told MISRYOUM.
Lader described a drive that began after the attack on her synagogue—an experience she says has also pushed senators to move. She joined Jewish leaders in Washington, D.C., after that attack, and said it motivated U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., to introduce legislation for security upgrades. Lawmakers sent the bill to the Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs on Tuesday.
Lader said the bill would allow houses of worship and other nonprofit institutions to apply to the federal government for funding for security needs.
The urgency is shaped by what leaders say they’ve already seen. Since 2020, there have been at least seven attacks on houses of worship. And in terms of mass shootings where more than one person was injured or killed. the Rockefeller Institute of Government has found that 22 shootings have happened at houses of worship since 1966. The institute’s tally does not yet include the Islamic Institute of San Diego shooting.
A central part of the plea is the argument that security guards can prevent the worst outcomes—and that the government’s failure to help with costs leaves communities to gamble on whether they can afford protection when the danger comes.
Amin Abdullah. 51. an armed security guard at the Islamic Center of San Diego. was credited with putting his life on the line and protecting the Monday mosque shooting from becoming a high-casualty incident. Leaders say people like him are expensive to find, but increasingly necessary as gun violence continues across the nation.
Lader pointed to a past wave of hiring after the Tree of Life mass shooting in Pittsburgh. After that attack, she said synagogues across the nation hired armed security guards. For Temple Israel, she said the security team costs $800,000 a year. Congregants support the expense through their membership. but she argued that the money could be used elsewhere if federal assistance were available.
She described the kind of threat she feared her synagogue might face and why she believes security personnel cannot be treated as optional. She said she worried that if the guard didn’t stop the attack. it would have become deadly quickly. as the attacker had explosives with the intent of committing mass murder.
Lader added that the synagogue is equipped with an automatic weapon fire system, which cuts power to the hallways and releases thick, black smoke. She said teachers also helped in physically shielding students.
“Having security personnel is non-negotiable,” Lader said.
Not everyone hears the same message from Washington.
The Council on American-Islamic Relations sent a request Wednesday to U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin to restore Muslim organizations’ access to the grant. CAIR’s research and advocacy director. Cory Saylor. told MISRYOUM that the silence from the White House Religious Liberty Commission is “deafening.”.
Saylor said CAIR has tracked an all-time high of Islamophobia, sometimes parroted by elected officials, in 2025. He added he believes 2026 may see worse numbers.
The White House Religious Liberty Commission has not commented on the legislation, nor has it commented on the mosque or Michigan synagogue attacks. Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, who chairs the commission and is seeking reelection, didn’t immediately respond to MISRYOUM’s request for comment.
Saylor’s concern isn’t just about getting guards. He doesn’t want any armed guard—he wants preparedness. “I like people to be well-trained and understand how to use a firearm and not be an amateur who is afraid and acting in a moment of adrenaline,” he said.
Others argue that the cost question can’t be used as a reason to do nothing.
Tuqa Nusairat. executive director at the Institute for Social Policy and Understanding. said the leaders pushing for funding know the request can be costly. especially because they are tax-exempt organizations. But she said she didn’t see a reason the government shouldn’t help. given that religious institutions have often helped local communities with social services or mental health help.
“It’s very hard to find a mosque, a church or temple that is not also providing free food through food banks,” Nusairat told MISRYOUM. “My local mosque provides free food. They provide schooling and social services and mental health services.”
While some communities work to return to normal, others are still figuring out what normal even looks like after violence.
MISRYOUM reached out to seven religious institutions that experienced violence or a mass shooting since 2020. Congregants at one said they feel safe enough to return, while another has closed down due to the damage.
Lader said she heard from Jewish families after the March attack and described what they said about feeling secure at the synagogue. She said they pointed to the security protocols staff followed, the systems at the temple, and the security guard’s actions.
“Our parents are overwhelmed with gratitude for our security team and our teachers, and they don’t want to be anywhere else,” she said.
Nusairat and Saylor said they haven’t heard the same reassurance from the Muslim communities they’re connected to. Instead, mosque leaders said in a survey that they are concerned about safety and security whenever their community gathers.
Nusairat also tied the growing push for security funding to White House policy. She said the Trump administration’s policy change affecting which religious organizations can secure nonprofit security grants “doesn’t meet the White House’s messaging in protecting religious freedom.”
She said it is important for the White House and other politicians to condemn hateful rhetoric they see, arguing that it matters for the safety of Americans.
For Lader, the fight over grants is inseparable from a broader problem she believes is already spreading. “Seeing this increase in mass violence against houses of worship is a symptom of the disease overall. and the disease is hate and extremism and access in a way that they don’t have in other countries. ” she said.
Nonprofit Security Grant Program Congress FEMA houses of worship security Jen Lader Temple Israel Jacky Rosen Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Council on American-Islamic Relations Markwayne Mullin Religious Liberty Commission Dan Patrick Amin Abdullah Islamic Center of San Diego