Homeland Security drops anti-Nazi group from counter-extremism program
The US Department of Homeland Security has dropped an anti-Nazi group from a multi-million dollar grant program aimed at ‘Countering Violent Extremism.’
The DHS said they were restarting the scheme on Thursday – after stalling the program for review upon Trump taking office – with the exception of a few, including one dedicated to de-radicalizing new-Nazis and stopping white extremism.
Life After Hate, which was promised $400,000 of the two-year $10 million program during the final days of the Obama administration, was inexplicably dropped from the new grant list.
The non-profit, founded by “former members of the American violent far-right extremist movement” aims to help neo-Nazis and others move away from extreme ring-wing groups.
The group has seen a 20-fold increase in request for help since Election Day “from people looking to disengage or bystanders/family members looking for help from someone they know,” according to the organization’s founder Christian Picciolini who spoke to Politico.
Life After Hate was just one of 12 groups dropped from the original 31-member program.
The other group which had their funding cut is the Muslim Public Affairs Council Foundation, both now replaced with the Alameda County Sheriff’s Office and the Massachusetts Executive Office of Public Safety and Security – each receiving a grant of $500,000.
Other groups dropped from the Obama administration list include the Muslim American Leadership Alliance, Coptic Orthodox Charities and Unity Productions Foundation.
Making it onto the new DHS funding list are groups such as the Nashville International Center for Empowerment, the Hennepin County Sheriff's Office and the National Governors Association (NGA) Center for Best Practices.
