ATC DECLARED AN EMER FOR A CRJ200 AFTER THE ACFT WAS HELD; GIVEN A SPD ASSIGNMENT; AND FINALLY DECLARED MIN FUEL BECAUSE OF A PRESIDENTIAL TFR.

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INBOUND JFK; WE WERE GIVEN A HOLD. THE EFC WAS AN HR AWAY; AND WE HAVE ENOUGH FUEL TO HOLD FOR ABOUT 30 MINS. DISPATCH GAVE US A BINGO FUEL OF 2700 LBS. AT 2900 LBS; WE WERE CLRED IGN TO JFK. WE WERE ALSO GIVEN 300 KIAS OR BETTER; INCREASE OUR FUEL BURN. THE FMS WAS PREDICTING WE WOULD LAND WITH LESS THAN RESERVE FUEL (AT 1900 LBS). I ASKED THE FO TO DECLARE MINIMUM FUEL. NY APCH ASKED HOW MUCH FUEL WE HAD REMAINING. WE WERE INDICATING 2000 LBS. I CONSIDER RESERVE FUEL (2140 LBS) TO EQUAL 45 MINS SO I ESTIMATED 40 MINS REMAINING. ATC ASKED 40 MINS UNTIL RESERVE OR UNTIL EMPTY. IT WAS UNTIL EMPTY. THEY ASK FOR SOULS ON BOARD AND FUEL IN LBS REMAINING. A FEW MINS LATER; ATC ELECTED TO DECLARE AN EMER FOR US AND CLRED US DIRECT JFK ILS RWY 4L. ALTHOUGH I DIDN'T THINK WE WERE QUITE IN AN EMER YET; I DECIDED IT WAS BETTER TO BE MORE CONSERVATIVE. BECAUSE OF OUR NEW ROUTING AND A PWR OFF DSCNT; WE BURNED ALMOST NO FUEL DURING THE APCH. WE LANDED WITH 1800 LBS ALTHOUGH THE INDICATED FUEL JUMPED TO 2700 LBS SHORTLY AFTER LNDG. WE SHUT DOWN AT THE GATE WITH 1800 LBS AFTER A LONG TAXI. TWR HAD REQUESTED CFR; BUT WE DIDN'T REQUIRE ANY ASSISTANCE. ONCE CLRED INTO JFK WE NO LONGER HAD ENOUGH TO DIVERT TO ZZZ1 OUR ALTERNATE. MY PLAN WAS TO DIVERT TO ZZZ2 OR ZZZ3 IF NEEDED. THE DELAYS WERE DUE TO TFR'S FOR PRESIDENTIAL MOVEMENT (NOTAMS NOTED A TFR; BUT NOT WHAT IT WAS FOR). ALTHOUGH I FELT ATC'S EMER DECLARATION WAS OVERLY CAUTIOUS; AND PERHAPS I HAD UNDERESTIMATED OUR REMAINING FUEL; I FELT IT WAS BETTER TO BE ON THE SAFE SIDE. WE LANDED UNEVENTFULLY AND TAXIED TO THE GATE.