The Department of Homeland Security awarded more than $25 million in federal grants to organizations with ties to Islamist extremism between 2013 and 2023, according to a damning new report from the Middle East Forum.

The report accuses DHS of funneling taxpayer dollars to groups affiliated with Iran’s regime, the Muslim Brotherhood, and other entities previously linked to terrorism or extremist ideology — some of which were connected to individuals involved in the September 11 attacks.

“This is not a case of bureaucratic oversight — it’s a systematic failure of vetting and accountability,” said Gregg Roman, executive director of the Middle East Forum. “Americans have the right to know their tax dollars went to institutions that are ideologically aligned with foreign adversaries.”

The investigation focused on three federal funding streams — the Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP), the Countering Violent Extremism (CVE) initiative, and the Disaster Relief Fund — and cross-referenced grantees with MEF’s archives of groups tied to radical ideologies.

Among the report’s key findings:

• $750,000 in grants were earmarked for mosques in Michigan and Texas that the report says are “operating on behalf of the Islamic Republic of Iran or its proxies.”
• The Islamic Center of San Diego, awarded $370,000 in federal grants between 2015 and 2023, was frequented by two 9/11 hijackers who allegedly received logistical support from worshippers — including help obtaining IDs and accessing funds from a relative of 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, according to the report.
• The Turkish American Community Center in Maryland — described as a North American outpost of the Turkish Directorate of Religious Affairs and aligned with President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan — received $150,000 in NSGP funding.
• A Michigan-based nonprofit, Leaders Advancing and Helping Communities, received CVE funds despite board members with reported pro-Hezbollah affiliations.
• ICNA Relief, the charitable wing of the Islamic Circle of North America — which the report says has “ideological ties” to the U.S.-designated terrorist group Jamaat-e-Islami — was granted $10.3 million in disaster aid. Another Texas-based recipient, the Muslim American Society Katy Center, tied to the Muslim Brotherhood, received more than $90,000.

Roman said the report also highlights DHS’s ongoing partnership with the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), which was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator in the 2008 Holy Land Foundation terror financing case. CAIR has drawn attention more recently for inflammatory statements following the Oct. 7 Hamas terror attack, including blaming Israel for the massacre.

“These grants represent more than just misused funds — they’re a national security breach hiding in plain sight,” Roman said. “We have shared our findings with executive agencies and Congress and are pushing for immediate rescission of funds and deep structural reform.”

The Middle East Forum is urging Congress to impose stricter transparency requirements and overhaul DHS’s vetting process for grantees, warning that the current system leaves the door open for extremist infiltration under the guise of community outreach or disaster relief.

The Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which the report identifies as the primary source of questionable funding, grew from a modest $10 million in 2012 to a staggering $454 million by 2024. Critics say that growth occurred without corresponding safeguards.

The report does note that in some cases it is unclear whether all earmarked funds were ultimately disbursed, but insists that the grant approvals themselves reflect a dangerous pattern of negligence.

The Department of Homeland Security has not yet responded publicly to the report.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)