The Department of Homeland Security (DHS), under Secretary Kristi Noem, announced Thursday that it is canceling $18.5 million in taxpayer-funded grants previously approved for the Center for Prevention Programs and Partnerships (CP3), citing concerns over funding what it called “ideologically driven” initiatives.
The grants—initially awarded during the Biden administration—were earmarked for a variety of organizations DHS claims were pushing agendas focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) as well as LGBTQ issues.
“These cancellations reflect DHS’s commitment to fiscal responsibility and national security,” DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin told Fox News Digital. “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.”
Among the cuts:
- $851,836 previously awarded to the Eradicate Hate Global Summit, described by DHS as a DEI-focused group.
- $209,407 cut from the Supporting and Mentoring Youth Advocates and Leaders program, which DHS said promotes radical gender ideology, including to children as young as five.
Originally formed in 2021 to replace the Office of Targeted Violence and Terrorism Prevention, CP3 was intended to help prevent violence and terrorism through a public-health-informed approach. However, critics within DHS now argue that the Biden-era direction of the program strayed from that mission and veered into culture war territory.
Secretary Noem, who has increasingly positioned herself as a defender of “traditional values,” has made reversing Biden-era policies a priority. The move to axe the grants follows similar action last month, when DHS canceled another $1.5 million in funding for what it described as “radical” programs.
A DHS spokesperson confirmed that the canceled funds will now be redirected toward projects aimed at directly protecting the American people, including efforts to counter terrorism, improve border security, and support law enforcement.
The decision marks a sharp departure from the Biden administration’s DEI-focused policies and signals a broader reorientation of DHS priorities under Noem’s leadership.
