The Federal Emergency Management Agency is awarding $250 million for counter-drone efforts in the Washington, D.C. area and the 11 states hosting FIFA in 2026, according to a December 30 press release. Meanwhile, Dallas is undertaking massive efforts to prepare for its role hosting the cup.
“We knew we needed to act quickly to keep the World Cup safe from the rising threat of unmanned aircraft systems and that’s exactly what we did,” said FEMA Acting Administrator Karen Evans in the release.
Terrorists and “hostile foreign actors” have begun taking advantage of drones in recent years, according to the release. This grant aims to help state and local law enforcement keep communities safe ahead of FIFA – “expected to be the largest sporting event in world history.”
Cities hosting FIFA include Dallas and Houston in Texas, Atlanta, Boston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, the New York City area, Philadelphia, Seattle, and the San Francisco Bay area, according to the organization’s website.
President Donald Trump signed an executive order in June on “Restoring American Airspace Sovereignty,” aiming to protect members of the public during large gatherings. According to the release, this helped enable the most recent grant.
The “One Big Beautiful Bill” of 2025 also provided $500 million in federal funding for two years to boost state and local operations against drones, according to the release. Officials plan to release the remaining $250 million next year to all states and territories, aiming to build detection and response capacity across America.
“This is the fastest non-disaster grant program ever executed by FEMA with funds being awarded just 25 days after the application deadline,” Evans said. “This efficiency is a testament to the Administration’s laser-focus on cutting red tape, getting resources into the hands of law enforcement, and protecting the American people.”
As The Dallas Express previously reported, Dallas officials have launched a FIFA volunteer operations center at Fair Park and are preparing a large-scale security overhaul ahead of the 2026 tournament, including coordination among local, state, and federal agencies such as the Dallas Police Department and the FBI.
Federal officials have cited recent terrorism-related cases in North Texas as part of the broader security environment driving heightened focus on protecting mass-gathering events, according to prior reporting by The Dallas Express.
