$25 million taxpayer cash handed by DHS, FEMA to groups with extremist ties

A new report by the Middle East Forum claims that over $25 million in taxpayer-funded grants were awarded to U.S.-based organizations with alleged ties to extremist ideologies or groups, including Hamas, Hezbollah, and the Iranian regime.

The report highlights a potential contradiction in the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) intentions, noting that many of the grants were originally intended to support counter-extremism and deradicalization initiatives. Instead, the study alleges, some of the funds may have gone to groups with connections to individuals or organizations involved in promoting or supporting extremist agendas.

The Philadelphia-based think tank examined DHS spending through programs such as the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) between 2013 and 2024. Ben Baird, project director at the Middle East Forum and co-author of the report, criticized the agency’s oversight, saying: “Instead of protecting the homeland, the federal government is bankrolling extremists who idolize 9/11 hijackers and sympathize with the perpetrators of the October 7 massacre in Israel.”

The Middle East Forum says it is now working with DHS to revoke grants it deems problematic and to improve transparency in the grant approval process.

One area of focus in the report is the Faith-Based Security Advisory Council (FBSAC), established during the Biden administration to help safeguard religious institutions. Among the members appointed as advisors were figures such as Mohamed Magid, director of a Virginia mosque once raided in a federal counterterrorism probe in 2002 (no charges were filed), and Salaam al-Marayati, head of the Muslim Public Affairs Council, who faced past criticism for remarks made after the 9/11 attacks. Both individuals declined or did not respond to recent requests for comment.

Several organizations cited in the report have previously faced scrutiny. The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), for instance, was awarded nearly $250,000 in DHS grants for its national office and regional branches. CAIR was named an unindicted co-conspirator in the 2008 Holy Land Foundation trial—at the time the largest terrorism financing case in U.S. history. While CAIR denies any wrongdoing, past comments from its founder Nihad Awad regarding the October 7 Hamas attacks drew criticism. Awad later stated his remarks were taken out of context and said he condemned the violence.

Responding to the report, CAIR spokesman Ibrahim Hooper defended the organization’s right to seek federal funding, stating: “The American Muslim community has the same right to apply for nonprofit grants as other faith communities.” He added that CAIR condemns terrorism, hate crimes, and all forms of bigotry.

Other recipients of DHS grants include:

Islamic Circle of North America (ICNA): Received $10.3 million after Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Critics have linked the group to Jamaat-e-Islami, a South Asian Islamist organization associated with violent activities. ICNA has denied such affiliations.
Islamic Society of Baltimore: Granted $375,000 between 2017 and 2023. The mosque was reportedly under FBI surveillance after one of its members was convicted in a 2010 bombing plot. No comment was provided by the group.
Islamic House of Wisdom (Dearborn, MI): Received $330,000 in 2023. Its leader, Imam Mohammed Ali Elahi, has expressed public admiration for figures aligned with Hezbollah and Iran’s regime. He did not respond to inquiries.
Other religious institutions in Michigan and Texas also received grants totaling around $750,000, according to the report. Some were described as promoting Iran’s hardline Shi’a ideology.

The report raises concerns about whether DHS has adequate safeguards to prevent funds from going to groups with ideological ties to foreign militant organizations. It questions whether such groups should be eligible for federal security enhancements like bulletproof glass or armed guards.

“DHS officials must be more discerning,” the report concludes, urging congressional oversight to prevent future grants from supporting entities that may undermine U.S. national security.

The DHS and FEMA have not yet publicly responded to the findings. The Middle East Forum says it plans to continue pressing for reforms in federal grant-making practices.

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