CHICAGO – Attorney General Kwame Raoul, as part of a bipartisan coalition of 44 attorneys general, sent a comment letter urging Congress to fully fund the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2027 fiscal year security request, warning that threats against justices and their families have become a serious and escalating danger.
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In the letter to congressional leaders, Raoul and the attorneys general called for the resources necessary to protect justices, their families and the Supreme Court as an institution. The letter also emphasized the court can fulfill its constitutional role only when its justices are able to exercise judicial independence without fear or favor.
“Under no circumstance should a member of the judiciary have to worry about their personal safety simply because they are doing their job,” Raoul said. “I join this bipartisan coalition of chief legal officers in our respective states to support the safety and independence of our judicial system.”
The request comes as authorities document a sharp rise in threats against federal justices. According to the U.S. Courts administrative office, “security incidents of significant concern” for justices spiked by 57% in fiscal year 2025.
For example, in 2022, a gunman traveled to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh’s neighborhood with the stated intent to assassinate him in his home. Additionally, in 2020, an assassin murdered Daniel Anderl, the son of U.S. District Judge Esther Salas of New Jersey.
The Supreme Court’s 2027 fiscal year request includes $14.6 million to expand personal protection for the justices, as well as additional personnel to strengthen security at the U.S. Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. It also includes $2 million for an off-site command post to coordinate residential protection for the justices.
Raoul and the coalition acknowledged Congress faces difficult spending decisions, but it stressed protecting the court safeguards not only the justices and their families but also safeguards the security and stability of the nation’s constitutional system.
Joining Raoul in sending the letter are the attorneys general of Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Washington, West Virginia and Wyoming.
