Congresswoman McCollum Leads Minnesota Democrats in Letter to Secretary Noem Demanding Reinstatement of Anti-Terrorism Funding
Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention grant was recently canceled by Department of Homeland Security
WASHINGTON, D.C. — On July 21, just five weeks after Minnesota was shaken by the targeted political violence against DFL elected officials, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem announced the cancellation of the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) grant. The TVTP grant is specifically intended to detect and prevent violent acts such as those perpetrated against Speaker Melissa Hortman and her husband Mark as well as Senator John Hoffman and his wife Yvette. In response to Secretary Noem’s decision to defund this critical law enforcement funding that helps keep Minnesotans safe from the actions of violent criminals, Congresswoman Betty McCollum led a letter to Secretary Noem requesting the immediate reinstatement of the TVTP grant.
The letter was co-signed by all six of Minnesota’s Congressional Democrats: Congresswoman Betty McCollum, Senator Amy Klobuchar, Senator Tina Smith, Congresswoman Ilhan Omar, Congresswoman Angie Craig, and Congresswoman Kelly Morrison.
“We write with deep concern over the Department of Homeland Security’s decision to terminate the Minnesota Department of Public Safety’s Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention (TVTP) grant,” wrote the lawmakers. “This grant supported vital anti-terrorism and violence prevention programs in the state and ensured our state law enforcement had access to vital federal counterterrorism partners and resources. The grant’s abrupt cancellation is irresponsible and leaves our constituents and communities more vulnerable to violent attacks.”
“This program provides financial assistance to develop sustainable, multidisciplinary prevention capabilities in local communities, pilot innovative prevention approaches, and identify prevention best practices that can be replicated in communities across the country,” added the lawmakers. “In the United States, antisemitic incidents are up 361% in 2025 and anti-Muslim discrimination and attacks have reached an all-time high. Violence prevention programs help to stop extreme negative events affiliated with this hate before they can happen. The State of Minnesota was awarded a $700,000 TVTP grant to do just that. These funds supported two positions at the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA), and BCA had planned to utilize this grant to establish a permanent Behavioral Threat Assessment and Management team. This team was designed to fill known gaps in counterterrorism and targeted violence prevention.”
The full text of the letter can be found here.
Read the letter from Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobsen to the Minnesota Congressional Delegation in response to Secretary Noem’s announcement here.