RELEASE: Ahead of World Cup in New Jersey, Gottheimer & White House Announce $8.5 Million in Funding to Support Law Enforcement

Above: Gottheimer announces $8.5 Million in funding for law enforcement during the World Cup.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5) and the White House Office announced $8.5 million in Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) funding to support law enforcement security operations surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

The funding will be directed to local and state law enforcement departments and agencies — including local law enforcement in Bergen County towns near the Meadowlands Complex and in northern Bergen, the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, and the New Jersey State Police — to cover overtime and other necessary security costs as officers work to keep families, fans, and visitors safe during one of the largest sporting events in the world.

The World Cup kicks off this week at MetLife Stadium. Over the course of 8 games, North Jersey is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of fans from around the globe. Local police departments and first responders have faced significant overtime demands and resource pressures, with limited existing funding to meet those needs.

Watch Gottheimer’s full remarks here.

“This is a massive moment for New Jersey and for the entire country, and we need to make sure our officers and first responders have the resources to do their jobs,” said Congressman Josh Gottheimer (NJ-5). “Our local county prosecutor, law enforcement officers, and State Troopers are working overtime to keep people safe during the World Cup. They need the funding to match. That’s exactly what this delivers. I fought hard in Washington to secure these critical funds for Jersey, and after countless hours and conversations, I reached an agreement with the White House to get this money out the door and into the hands of the men and women keeping our communities safe.”

“I do want to say thank you to Congressman Gottheimer for bringing back that money, his fight for law enforcement,” said Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco. “He’s always been someone that stands up for law enforcement and for emergency services. And this is just another true example of what he does every day for us in Congress.”

“Josh Gottheimer again and again steps up to the plate,” said Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella. “Perhaps in this case, we’re going to use football terminology. Josh has stepped up to take the penalty kick, and he’s buried it in the back of the net. Josh Gottheimer has delivered for Bergen County law enforcement and for the residents of Bergen County, and for the taxpayers of Bergen County.”

The $8.5 million FEMA Homeland Security Grant funding will be directed to:

• $3 million tolocal law enforcement departments in Bergen County towns surrounding MetLife Stadium and the Meadowlands Complex, the site of the World Cup, and to departments in Northern Bergen County supporting those towns. This money will be allocated by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office.
  • The towns surrounding the stadium include Carlstadt, East Rutherford, Lyndhurst, Moonachie, Rutherford, Little Ferry, North Arlington, and Wood-Ridge. 
  • Those departments will be supported by police from thirty-eight towns in Bergen County as a part of the Bergen County FIFA Task Force, including Tenafly, Fort Lee, Paramus, and Hackensack, and many others, who will surge officers to assist with security.
• $1.5 million to Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, to support their FIFA Task Force security operations and local police departments surrounding the stadium. 
• $4 million to New Jersey State Police who will be responsible for securing MetLife Stadium and the Meadowlands Complex during the games. 

Funding is primarily intended to cover officer overtime and other necessary security costs for security operations during the FIFA World Cup matches at MetLife Stadium.

Gottheimer was joined by Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella, Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco, Bergen County Commissioner Tracy Zur, Wayne Blanchard; President of the State Troopers Fraternal Association, Mike Podiea; Chairman of Bergen County Police Benevolent Association, Alpine Chief Matthew Kent, Carlstadt Chief Thomas Cox, Cliffside Park Chief Yakup Zoklu, Closter Chief James Buccola, Cresskill Chief James Domville, Dumont Chief Luke Totten, East Rutherford Chief Dennis Rivelli, East Rutherford Deputy Chief Thomas Berlinski, Emerson Chief Mark Savino, Englewood Chief Thomas Greeley, Englewood Cliffs Chief William Henkelman, Fair Lawn Chief Joseph Dawicki, Fairview Chief Vincent Bellucci, Fort Lee Chief Matthew Hintze, Glen Rock Chief Michael Trover, Hackensack Chief Michael Antista, Hasbrouck Heights Chief Jeffrey Werner, Hillsdale Chief Travis Woods, Ho-Ho-Kus Chief Mike LaCroix, Little Ferry Chief James Walters, Lyndhurst Deputy Chief Paul Haggerty, Maywood Chief Terence Kenny, Moonachie Chief Richard Behrens, New Milford Chief Brian Clancy, North Arlington Chief Michael Horton, Northvale Chief Howard Ostrow, Norwood Chief Chris Federici, Oradell Chief William Wicker, Paramus Chief Robert Guidetti, Park Ridge Chief Joseph Rampolla, Ridgefield Chief Thomas Gallagher, Ridgefield Park Chief Joseph Rella, River Edge Chief Michael Walker, River Vale Chief Christopher Bulger, Rochelle Park Chief Dean Pinto, Rutherford Chief John Russo, Saddle Brook Chief John Zotollo, Saddle River Chief Jason Cosgriff, South Hackensack Chief Robert Chinchar, Teaneck Chief Andrew McGurr, Tenafly Chief Robert Chamberlain, Upper Saddle River Chief Patrick Rotella, Waldwick Chief Christoher Goodell, Wood-Ridge Chief Michael O’Donnell, Woodcliff Lake Chief Stephen Regula.

Below: Gottheimer announces $8.5 Million in funding for law enforcement during the World Cup.

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Gottheimer’s remarks as prepared for delivery:

Good morning, everyone.

First, I want to start by thanking the men and women standing here with us today. Jersey’s finest. Our local law enforcement – including all of the Chiefs. Our Sheriff and his team from Bergen County. And all the state troopers, not to mention the major law enforcement unions, and our County Prosecutor and his office. 

Every single day, rain or shine, late nights, early mornings, weekends, holidays, you put on the uniform, and you answer the call without hesitation. You put yourselves in harm’s way to keep our families and communities safe. You’ve got our backs. And I want you to know, as ever, that I’ve got yours.

Now let me tell you why we’re here today.

It’s finally here. This week, the FIFA World Cup kicks off right here in Bergen County at MetLife Stadium with Brazil taking on Morocco on Saturday. 

Let me just say that again.

The World Cup. Right here. In Jersey. Not New York — Jersey.

There will be eight games at our stadium alone. 

Hundreds of thousands of fans, if not millions, from every corner of the globe, will descend on Bergen County — and in every town surrounding it. 

This isn’t just any sporting event — it’s the biggest sporting event in the world, and it’s happening right here in our own backyard. It’s our opportunity to shine and to show off Jersey to the world.

People from every continent, every country are coming here, to our backyard – from England to Ecuador, and everywhere in between, including Mississippi and Alabama. And they’re not just flying in for the matches themselves. 

They’re coming into our communities, staying in our hotels, eating in our restaurants, and shopping in our stores. That’s real economic activity and jobs. That’s amazing for Jersey families and fantastic for Jersey businesses.

But, let’s be clear: none of that works if people don’t feel safe.  

And keeping everyone safe — every team, every fan, every world leader, every family pouring into our towns — takes serious resources. That means protection from terror attacks, biological weapons, drones, and plain-old ordinary crime — anything else that might put players, spectators, or Jersey families in danger. 

That’s where you come in. Think about what our officers are actually being asked to do here.

This isn’t just a normal day at the office.  We’re talking about months of training, multi-agency task forces, coordination between federal, state, and local law enforcement. The FBI.  Homeland Security. The Intelligence Community. All preparing for what’s ahead.   We’re talking about up to thirty-seven days of sustained law enforcement operations from the first game this Saturday in New Jersey to the final on July 19. 

Thirty-seven days. Extended shifts. Task force deployments. Intelligence analysts at work. Traffic officers. Patrol officers. Investigators. Supervisors. All working long and hard shifts for thirty-seven consecutive days for the safety of our communities and those coming to the Garden State to experience the games.

Meanwhile, our local departments still have to deliver full police services to the residents and communities they protect every single day — the routine calls, the emergencies, accidents, robberies, everything. But now, they’re doing all of that on top of a World Cup operation that is already stretching every resource they have.

A few months ago, our Bergen County Prosecutor came to me with a problem I couldn’t ignore.

He told me that many of our local police departments, which are providing support to everyone coming to Jersey for the games, to eat, to go to the bars, to shop in our communities, weren’t getting a nickel to cover those costs. Not one dollar for overtime shifts away from their families or for the extra equipment essential to protecting all of us. 

You’re talking about a massive strain on our Bergen County Police Departments – and not a dime of extra funding for it. 

Which meant if nothing was done, Jersey taxpayers were going to be left holding the bag. Jersey families — picking up the tab for a World Cup security operation that, in my opinion, FIFA should have been funding from day one. After all, they’re getting on average between $12,000 a ticket for the World Cup finals and making billions.  Or, at the very least, New York should be picking up more of the tab.  

But not you. Not our local, hardworking Jersey families who are already getting crushed by more than $4 a gallon gas prices, utility bills, child care, and health care costs, not to mention our ridiculous taxes. 

And the Prosecutor and his department, who have been helping coordinate all of our local police departments and arrests, were also largely being left in the wind. Not enough resources. Just extra responsibility.

That was unacceptable to me. Add to that the massive hit to our State Troopers who will be providing safety and protection to fans and teams here in Bergen and up and down the state – at all the practice locations and fan fests. The coming weeks will be insanely intense for them, and, of course, our state will end up spending a hell of a lot more than we’re getting from the federal government or from FIFA. 

Again, that strain doesn’t just fall on systems — it falls on real people. It falls on the taxpayers and on our law enforcement officers. They will be working overtime, sometimes double shifts, to keep every family safe. 

You’ve probably heard New York talking a lot about this World Cup. The “New York” World Cup. The “New York” games. 

Well, I’ve got news for them.

The stadium? It’s in Jersey. The Meadowlands? It’s in Jersey. The games? They’re being played in Jersey. And the World Cup final, the biggest game in the entire tournament, is being played at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

And where do you think the teams have been having their training sessions? Right here. In Jersey. So, let’s be clear about who is actually doing the heavy lifting on security.

It’s not New York City cops policing the Meadowlands. It’s our State Troopers and our local police in the surrounding towns. The men and women who are standing here with me today. These are Jersey law enforcement officers working weeks and weeks straight to keep everyone safe. 

And yet when the federal funding was first allocated for this region, our local police departments largely got left behind. On top of that, even though New York and New Jersey have unique security needs — we’re hosting the final, and the teams in the final will need to move here to train before the game — somehow, Atlanta and Miami received higher funding levels.

That was wrong – and that changes today. I went back to work to get Jersey what we deserve.

 I fought hard in Washington to secure these additional critical funds. From countless hours of meetings, calls, and negotiations. 

I worked with the White House, Homeland Security, and FEMA to get Jersey much-needed extra funding.

Today, I am proud to announce that we have secured an additional $8.5 million in FEMA Homeland Security Grant funding for the men and women in Bergen County and beyond who are keeping our Jersey communities safe during the World Cup.  

Yes, we’ve clawed $8.5 million back from the federal government for Jersey that will be distributed to communities here in Jersey. 

First, of the $8.5 million, $3 million is allocated for local law enforcement departments in the Bergen County towns surrounding MetLife Stadium and the Meadowlands Complex, and the departments in the northern part of the County that are helping them.  So, that’s everyone from Carlstadt, East Rutherford, Lyndhurst, Moonachie, Rutherford, Little Ferry, North Arlington, and Wood-Ridge. 

These are the towns that will be right in the thick of it. They will be supported by police from thirty-eight towns, including Tenafly, Fort Lee, Paramus, Fair Lawn, and Hackensack, who will surge officers to secure our County. All these departments will be running enhanced staffing schedules from the moment this tournament begins. Now, they’re all going to get some help covering their costs.

Second, of the $8.5 million, $1.5 million will go to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office to help coordinate Bergen County law enforcement and prosecution, and to support the FIFA Task Force, a multi-agency unit that is on the ground for the full duration of the games. It will also support their SWAT team, which will be ready in case of an emergency. And, of course, the Prosecutor’s office will handle any folks who decide to break the law.

Third, and finally, we’ve also clawed back $4 million for the New Jersey State Police, who are responsible for securing MetLife Stadium and the Meadowlands Complex during the games, as well as helping up and down the state for every fan event and practice.  They are also coordinating directly with the federal law enforcement task forces. 

These dollars will help cover officer overtime and extended shifts. It will help cover the security operations, like the intelligence analysts, the traffic officers, and the task force deployments – and an extra emergency equipment. Everything they need to do this job right for thirty-seven days of World Cup operations.

$8.5 million dollars clawed back from Washington and brought home to Jersey, where it belongs.

Because here’s the bottom line: I don’t want the World Cup to hit your pocketbooks. I don’t want it coming out of your state income and local property taxes.

The families in Jersey shouldn’t be footing the bill for a global sporting event that FIFA and the federal government have a responsibility to fund. That’s not how this should work. And that’s exactly why I went and worked with the White House to get these dollars.

And I want to be clear about something. These are your federal tax dollars.

You pay them every single year. The question is always: how much of that money actually gets back to New Jersey? How much do we claw back to Bergen County, back to the towns around this stadium, instead of going somewhere else, like god-for-sake places like Mississippi and Alabama?

My job is to fight to claw back every dollar I can, and bring it home here where it belongs.

That’s what this is. Jersey families’ own federal tax dollars — coming back home to keep Jersey. 

Fans are already arriving. The games start this week. Hundreds of thousands of people are going to pour into this community. Into Bergen County, into East Rutherford, into all the towns surrounding this stadium from around the world. And, let’s be clear, the world will be watching. Jersey will show the world exactly what we’re made of.

And, because of the officers standing with us today, they’re going to be safe, and they’re going to be protected. This is New Jersey at its best. Getting things done. Taking care of our own. Standing up for what we deserve.

 I will always have the backs of our law enforcement, our firefighters, and all our first responders. Keeping them and our families safe is not a partisan issue – this is all red, white, and blue, with a little Jersey yellow. 

I am so proud to be here. I am so grateful for everything these incredible public servants do. And I can’t wait to watch these games and to see the USA in the finals!

In the greatest country in the world, I know that if we work together to put on the greatest event the world has ever seen, our best days will always be ahead of us.

Thank you, may God bless you, may God bless our first responders, and may God bless the greatest country the world has ever known.