FARMINGTON HILLS, Mich. – U.S. Senator Gary Peters held a news briefing Friday with the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security to discuss protecting houses of worship from terror attacks.
Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is visiting Farmington Hills Friday at the invitation of Sen. Peters, of Michigan, who is the chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. The two spoke at the Holocaust Memorial Center.
This live stream has ended. You can watch the entire briefing in the video player above.
Officials say a newly signed bill has increased funding for a grant program that provides resources to houses of worship and organizations working to protect the institutions from terror attacks. The Nonprofit Security Grant Program has received nearly $250 million in funding to help secure facilities against potential attacks.
In the U.S., various kinds of religious facilities have frequently been the targets of violent and deadly assaults.
The Jewish Federations of North America, for example, is currently pushing for more training regarding security threats amid heightened fears of impending attacks. In 2020, the Anti-Defamation League reportedly counted 2,024 cases of harassment, vandalism and assault in the U.S. -- the third highest on record since the Jewish civil rights group began tracking incidents in 1979.
Read more: Jewish Federations eye security improvements for communities