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URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — The Urbana City Council opted to decline a federal grant due to restrictive conditions attached to it.
City Council member Christopher Evans revealed that discussions regarding the grant, valued at $67,815 and intended for the Urbana Fire Department, have been ongoing since last year. Although the council initially approved the grant back in October, further considerations led to a change of heart.
Evans explained that certain stipulations were problematic for the majority of council members, particularly requirements related to collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security and immigration officials. Additionally, accepting the funds would have prohibited the city from running programs that promote diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI).
Evans criticized the federal government’s new conditions, labeling them as “unconstitutional.”
Evans said the federal government’s new conditions are “unconstitutional.”