Illinois lawmakers call for more nonprofit security grant money after an alleged plot against a Hindu temple
Two congressmen and a state senator asked on Oct. 16 for more federal and state security grants. Illinois's own program pays up to $150,000 per site; no bill or dollar figure has been put forward.
Chicago. Two Illinois members of Congress and a state senator called on Oct. 16 for more public money to protect nonprofits at risk of attack, days after police in the Chicago suburbs arrested a man they say planned a mass shooting at a Hindu temple in Aurora.
U.S. Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi and Brad Schneider and state Sen. Ram Villivalam, all Democrats, spoke at a news conference in Chicago, The Center Square reported. They asked for more federal and state security grants but named no bill and no amount.
What happened in Aurora
Police say a car registered to Alexandros Paporakis, 19, entered the parking lot of Sri Venkateswara Swami (Balaji) Temple on Sunday, Oct. 11, and left less than 15 minutes later, The Associated Press reported. Prosecutors say he told co-workers his gun had jammed and that he would try again. The co-workers called 911, and he was arrested that day near his home in Palatine. He faces felony charges of making a terrorist threat and unlawfully possessing a rifle. The Cook County Public Defender's office, which represents him, said the statements of police and prosecutors are only allegations.
The temple, which was celebrating the Hindu festival of Navratri, said it had added security, including more armed guards. Mr. Krishnamoorthi said he was at the temple that day.
The state and federal grants
Mr. Villivalam said Illinois's program provided $20 million in its first year, plus later funding, but that more is needed.
“As we start our budget conversations, looking through opportunities to fund this program at a higher level and get this funding out the door quicker to the communities that are especially experiencing hate is a top priority.”
The Illinois Not-for-Profit Security Grant Program, run by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency and Office of Homeland Security, is open to 501(c)(3) organizations in Illinois at high risk of a threat, attack or act of terrorism. Organizations whose main purpose is medical or mental health care cannot receive it. An applicant may ask for up to $150,000 for each site, at up to three sites, or $450,000 in all, with a vulnerability assessment for every site. The money pays for security equipment on property the organization owns or leases, contracted guards, and active shooter training. The state's most recent notice, for fiscal 2025, offered $20 million from general revenue, with applications due Aug. 1, 2025.
Mr. Schneider said federal spending on the grants had grown from $300 million to $500 million, and that Jewish communities across the country are spending $1 billion of their own on security. Mr. Krishnamoorthi said the federal government had withheld the grants for "purely political reasons" and asked the Trump administration to release them.
About this story
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