WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, on Wednesday spoke at a U.S. Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on the Biden administration’s supplemental request for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) with Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. Murphy discussed the role of FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) in keeping communities safe as well as the Department’s request for increased USCIS funding to improve efficiency in the asylum system.

Amid the rise in antisemitism and Islamophobia, Murphy raised the importance of increased funding for NSGP: “I know how much you believe in this. I know that you have been very vocal about the incredible increase in antisemitic rhetoric and violence as well as threats of violence against our Muslim communities. This program is badly underfunded compared to the amount of need. Talk to us about the gap that exists right now between the amount of money that's in that account and the amount of demand in particular from synagogues, Jewish community centers, and mosques to upgrade their security.”

Mayorkas emphasized the demand for the program: “The Nonprofit Security Grant Program is tremendously oversubscribed. The demand for these funds from large and small institutions of all faiths far exceeds the amount of funding that we have. And it is critical funding that enables faith based institutions and other nonprofit organizations to secure their facilities – it’s places of worship, it’s religious schools, and the like – whether it's personnel, cameras, gating, whatever the needs are in a particular jurisdiction, the demand is extraordinary in all sized institutions.”

On Congress’s failure to pass any meaningful legislation on immigration in 40 years, Murphy said: “We have tried many times to engage in that process, most recently in 2013 when we came to a conclusion in the Senate, but Republicans in the House of Representatives refused to take up our measure. This could all be a lot easier if we would decide together to come together and fix part of this problem, half this problem, all of this problem, but most of the complaints here are because these laws haven't been updated in 40 years. And this administration, and every administration has been stuck with a mess caused by congressional inaction. And so this is a little bit of transference, as they say, in the discipline of psychology.”

As Chairman of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Homeland Security, Murphy has led bipartisan efforts to increase funding for NSGP, calling for additional funding for FEMA’s Nonprofit Security Grant Program (NSGP) to be included in any supplemental funding package Congress may consider.

A full transcript of Murphy’s exchange with Secretary Mayorkas:

MURPHY: “Thank you for being here to both of you. That’s the first time that I've heard a four second interrupted answer be described as a filibuster. I mean I think the most important part of these hearings is hearing the answers from our witnesses. I don't know that it serves this committee very well to give you literally three seconds to answer very complicated questions before asking the next one.

“And so I'm going to ask you a question, Secretary Mayorkas, and I'm going to give you the time to answer it. I think that you get a lot of criticism for implementing the law. It's been 40 years since we've come to a bipartisan agreement on how to change the law. We have tried many times to engage in that process, most recently in 2013 when we came to a conclusion in the Senate, but Republicans in the House of Representatives refused to take up our measure. This could all be a lot easier if we would decide together to come together and fix part of this problem, half this problem, all of this problem, but most of the complaints here are because these laws haven't been updated in 40 years. And this administration, and every administration has been stuck with a mess caused by congressional inaction. And so this is a little bit of transference, as they say, in the discipline of psychology.

“So you've asked for $745 million for [United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS)] in this budget. Typically, when we have been trying to push for money for this account in prior years, and I know this as chairman of the subcommittee that oversees the Department of Homeland Security, it has been Republicans who have pushed back. But tell us the consequences of underfunding USCIS at the level that it is underfunded today. Tell us how your hands are tied to try to efficiently manage the border if you don't have the resources you need to properly do all of the functions that USCIS is engaged in at the border and throughout our legal immigration system. Why is this really important? And why is it important for Republicans and Democrats to come together to support that funding?

MAYORKAS: “Senator, thank you for your inquiry. When we have more asylum officers, and when we have more support personnel to assist them in accomplishing the mission that they are expert in performing, then what we are able to do is drive greater efficiency in the asylum system, including shortening the time in between the time of the credible fear interview and the ultimate adjudication, including in between the time of initial encounter and the credible fear interview.

“We can conduct more credible fear interviews, and we can advance the system because we have discussed already in this hearing the unacceptable fact that it is far too slow process, the asylum adjudication process, that is because the system is broken. And critically, we are terribly underfunded and under resourced, And this supplemental gets to that latter point.”

MURPHY: “One of the things my Republican colleagues have talked about in this hearing is adjustments to the asylum standard. And I think that's a legitimate conversation to have, but that will necessitate to the extent that there is more or different work being done by USCIS some pretty significant new resources. And so I just put that on the table for my Republican colleagues who are coming to the table in good faith for a conversation about changing the laws.

“Last question, Secretary Mayorkas, just to talk for a minute about the Nonprofit Security Grant Program. I know how much you believe in this. I know that you have been very vocal about the incredible increase in antisemitic rhetoric and violence as well as threats of violence against our Muslim communities. This program is badly underfunded compared to the amount of need. Talk to us about the gap that exists right now between the amount of money that's in that account and the amount of demand in particular from synagogues, Jewish community centers, and mosques to upgrade their security.”

MAYORKAS: “Senator, very, very quickly. The rise in antisemitism, the latest data point I saw is that it is increased 388% since October 7. The Nonprofit Security Grant Program is tremendously oversubscribed. The demand for these funds from large and small institutions of all faiths far exceeds the amount of funding that we have. And it is critical funding that enables faith based institutions and other nonprofit organizations to secure their facilities – it’s places of worship, it’s religious schools, and the like – whether it's personnel, cameras, gating, whatever the needs are in a particular jurisdiction, the demand is extraordinary in all sized institutions.”

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