By Lookout Staff
October 3, 2025 -- Santa Monica joined a lawsuit filed Wednesday challenging a Federal policy that requires local governments to adopt the Trump administration’s political agenda or risk losing critical funding, City officials announced.
The City -- which stands to lose $2 million in federal funding -- joined the 28 other local governments in a lawsuit after the City Council authorized Santa Monica's participation Tuesday.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in California, centers on more than $350 million in grants administered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), City officials said.
"These funds help communities safeguard residents -— more than 30 million people —- through fire department staffing, port and transit security, counterterrorism, and hazard mitigation projects like wildfire and flood risk reduction," City officials said.
"The administration is demanding that local governments participate in its immigration enforcement policies and abandon diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) initiatives as a condition of funding."
The plaintiffs argue these conditions "are unconstitutional and exceed the executive’s authority, falling far outside what Congress authorized," officials said.
Santa Monica receives more than $2 million annually in FEMA grants to enhance regional preparedness for disasters, emergencies, and other threats to national security, according to City officials.
"All of these programs are at risk if they remain tied to the new conditions," officials said.
The City uses the funds to coordinate training for fire department personnel from 29 fire agencies throughout the region "in preparing for man-made and natural disasters, for regional trainings to prepare and respond to violent incidents, and for key Urban Search and Rescue and HazMat equipment," officials said.
In addition, Santa Monica was recently approved for a grant to support the health and wellbeing of its firefighters, "who are at elevated risk for cancer and exposure to traumatic events."
“As we saw earlier this year with the Palisades Fire, emergencies can strike at any time, threatening our community safety,” said Mayor Lana Negrete.
“Wildfires don’t have a political agenda, and our ability to respond to any disaster should not be determined by who is in power at any given time.”
The plaintiffs in the lawsuit include the City and County of Los Angeles, Culver City and Pasadena, among the 24 California jurisdictions participating.