The Trump administration is moving to fortify U.S. skies against potential drone threats ahead of next summer’s World Cup and other marquee mega-events, casting the technology as necessary both to bolster security and to help outpace foreign competition for aviation technology.

The administration plans to launch a $500 million effort to support state and local governments as they develop anti-drone security strategies ahead of the soccer tournament being played across the U.S., Canada and Mexico, along with the United States’ 250th anniversary and 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, according to Andrew Giuliani, director of the White House’s FIFA World Cup 2026 Task Force.

The White House says the money will be available to all 50 states but put to particular use to secure the 104 soccer matches that will be played in American stadiums. Officials envision urban police departments using handheld tools to detect aircraft, then either disabling them via jamming technology or ordering them to return to their points of origin.

“Everybody from the governors to different commissioners of the police in these different cities to the stadium chief security officer say that this is something that they need in order to protect the [World Cup] sites,” Giuliani told POLITICO in an interview.

The program, which comes out of funds budgeted to the Department of Homeland Security by the One Big Beautiful Bill enacted in July, reflects growing concern within the White House and national security agencies about uncrewed aerial threats, especially at major events — from well-organized terrorists, criminal mischief-makers or just overeager amateurs unaware that the airspace has been closed.

The funding will further insert the White House into a controversial debate over which law enforcement officials should be able to intercept or disable drones. Currently only federal agencies can do so, and a House bill that would extend that capacity to local police appears stalled. The administration is exploring contingency plans that would allow the Justice Department to temporarily authorize state and local officials to take down rogue drones in the event that Congress fails to act.

“Drones are a disruptive technology. They have an amazing potential for both good and ill,” Seb Gorka, the National Security Council’s senior director for counterterrorism, has said. “We will increase the enforcement of current laws to deter two types of individuals: evildoers and idiots — the clueless and the careless.”

In August, Gorka joined Giuliani to meet with representatives of the local-organizing committees in the 11 American cities that will host World Cup matches. Drones have become “a key part” of planning by the White House task force, said Giuliani. The leading security officer for FIFA, soccer’s international governing body, has identified drones as the greatest security challenge for the 39-day tournament.

“Let’s use the World Cup as the urgency, right?” said Giuliani, whose task force was formed in coordination with the National Security Council, DHS and Department of Justice and now meets daily to align federal and local security efforts. “In nine months, World Cup games are going to kick off, and there’s no pushing that back. So let’s get the equipment we need to make sure that it’s as safe as possible.”

World Cup host cities already have access to a $625 million grant program, created by the One Beautiful Bill Act and now administered by DHS, to reimburse security costs related to tournament preparations. States and territories will soon receive guidance on how to apply for drone-security funds.

“There will be a certain minimal amount that’s available for every state, whether or not they host World Cup games or America 250 events,” Giuliani said.

The U.S., Canada and Mexico held the first trilateral meeting on counter-drone coordination this summer in Mexico City despite differing legal frameworks across the three World Cup co-hosts.

“We’re going to put our best practices forward and urge our co-hosts to come to the table with their best practices as well,” he said, “and see what ultimately are best practices for all three of the countries to move forward there.”

Still, gaps in U.S. law remain a key obstacle. Under current federal rules, only the Justice and Homeland Security Departments have the authority to take down or intercept unmanned aircraft in unauthorized locations or otherwise considered a threat.

“DHS, FBI, the FAA, and the state, local, tribal and territorial law enforcement partners who will partner with them during the FIFA World Cup matches must be equipped with the resources and legal frameworks necessary to mitigate drone threats across all venues where airspace security risks are identified,” FIFA Chief Safety and Security Officer G.B. Jones told a House Homeland Security Committee hearing last month. “This includes matches, FIFA fan training sites and other large outdoor gatherings where drone threats may compromise safety and security.”

That concern has prompted competing efforts in state capitals and on Capitol Hill to clarify lines of responsibility between governmental authorities. In September, more than 30 governors urged Congress to pass legislation granting states the same drone mitigation powers as federal agencies. The House Transportation Committee has approved a bill that includes a pilot program that would do so at certain events, but it is unclear when that will head to the House floor.

Beyond the World Cup, the administration is tying drone policy to broader industrial and defense goals. In June, Trump signed executive orders to enhance airspace security, accelerate domestic drone innovation and expand commercial operations.

Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who has described drones as part of a “weapons-technology revolution,” has warned that they “are being used to smuggle deadly drugs, target our infrastructure and spy on U.S. defenses.”