Federal courts plan to have less to spend on security this fiscal year

The federal court system plans to spend $35 million less from its court security account in fiscal 2026 than it did the previous year unless Congress provides additional funding, at a time of heightened concerns about the safety of judges.

Judge Robert Conrad, the director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, outlined the judiciary’s interim court security funding plan in a memorandum obtained by CQ Roll Call and wrote that “requested program increases and security systems and equipment needs are deferred under this plan.”

The interim plan assumes the judiciary will have to endure another hard funding freeze in fiscal 2026 for the court security account, which had an enacted level of $750 million in fiscal 2025 for court security officers and equipment at courthouses and ot