San Diego Police Department Chief Scott Wahl credited security guard Amin Abdullah with preventing further loss of life at the Islamic Center of San Diego, saying he delayed, distracted and ultimately deterred the suspected shooters before they killed him.
But the armed security guard was not the only security measure in place at San Diego’s largest mosque. The community there had feared an attack for years, especially after a hateful flyering incident in 2023.
Since 2021, the Islamic Center of San Diego received nearly $1 million in state grants to boost security — from a program that’s now facing a $36 million cut from last year’s budget under Gov. Gavin Newsom’s latest proposal.
Recipient of state security funding
The Islamic Center of San Diego and attached school, Bright Horizon Academy, applied for multiple state grants intended to fund physical security upgrades at places at high-risk of a hate-motivated attack. The program supports target hardening at locations like LGBT centers, synagogues and mosques.
Under the California State Nonprofit Security Grant Program, community organizations, houses of worship and nonprofits at risk of attacks and hate crimes receive money to shore up physical security like gates, fences, lighting and surveillance. The money can also be used to create a security plan, but not to hire security guards like Abdullah.
Ultimately, the Islamic Center and school received four state grants over the last four fiscal years as part of the grant program. Twice, the institutions received the maximum grant amount of $250,000. In total, the Islamic Center and school received $892,798 in state security enhancement grants since 2021.
Uncertain funding status
But given budget constraints, those state funds are under threat.
In this year’s budget proposal, Governor Gavin Newsom initially planned to axe the program. San Diego council members Raul Campillo and Marni Von Wilpert sent a letter asking him to restore funding. In his May revised budget, Newsom put $40 million back into the program.
“Funding critical programs like this will tremendously benefit our communities by helping keep our neighbors safe each and every day,” Campillo said.
Von Wilpert said she supported the program amid rising antisemitism.
The $40 million allocation is down from last year’s record-breaking $76 million.
The program started in 2015, but did not reach eight digits in annual funding until 2019 when Newsom added $15 million to the program. At the time, Newsome cited the Chabad Synagogue shooting in Poway as motivation. The synagogue shooter had set a nearby Escondido mosque on fire in the weeks leading up to the attack.
Since the program started in 2015, the state has awarded $228,750,000 to 1,271 high-risk organizations, according to the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services, which administers the program.
Federal funds for houses of worship
Religious leaders are looking at federal funds to boost security as well.
At the time of the attack, 400 Jewish leaders with the Jewish Federations of North America were in Washington D.C. to advocate for Congress to allocate $1 billion to the Nonprofit Security Grant Program, which is similar to California’s program.
FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program began over a decade ago to help synagogues boost physical security. It focuses specifically on houses of worship.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullins linked the mosque shooting to a 76-day delay in delivery of the FEMA grants that occurred due to the government shutdown over immigration funding. Mullin did not specify if Islamic Center of San Diego was a grant recipient but told Sean Hannity on Fox News “we’re just now getting those grants out. Until then, they have to hire their own security.”
The grants do not currently cover hiring personnel.
In addition to fully funding the program, JFNS President Eric Fingerhut advocated for the grants to become more flexible to fund security guards and personnel which he described as a “growing need.”
Temple Israel in Michigan credits its robust security program with saving lives when a Hezbollah-inspired terrorist rammed an explosive-laden truck into its building. Preschoolers were locked behind bullet-proof glass. Ultimately, no one died despite the scale of the attack.
Rabbi Jen Lader, one of the Temple Israel leaders, is among the advocates pushing for the billion-dollar security funding in D.C. She previously told NPR that Temple Israel spends $800,000 a year on its security team.
“To anyone who feels this is excessive, what happened to Temple Israel two months ago, and now, the Islamic Center of San Diego, proves that it is not optional funding,” Temple Israel said in a statement on social media. “Every dollar will be necessary to protect houses of worship all over the country.”
