Houston Mayor Whitmire Takes No Action on $150 Million DOJ Model Cities Grant Tied to Immigration Enforcement

Houston Mayor John Whitmire's administration said it will not move forward with a $150 million application to a U.S. Department of Justice grant program that requires cities to align with immigration law enforcement operations.

A spokesperson for the mayor's office confirmed that Houston is "not taking any action" on the application to the DOJ Model Cities Initiative. The office did not say why the application is on hold.

The decision follows two delays in September, when city officials postponed council consideration while seeking clarification from the DOJ on the program's guidelines.

President Donald Trump announced the Model Cities Initiative in June under the name "Make America Safe Again." Trump said the program was intended to "slash violent crime in major metropolitan areas all across our country."

Grant guidelines require cities to "ensure that their initiatives align" with a number of federal priorities, including "immigration law enforcement operations." That language drew public criticism in Houston over recent weeks.

Ten people signed up to speak to Houston City Council during a public comment session Tuesday evening about the grant application. Among them was Jennefer Canales-Peláez, senior policy attorney and strategist with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.

"While I can agree that bringing housing and funding to the city of Houston is important, it should not be done while sacrificing our most vulnerable community members," Canales-Peláez said.

Last month, Whitmire downplayed the effect of the grant guidelines on city policy. He said the city's analysis found the grant would not require Houston police to do anything beyond what officers already do, which he described as contacting federal immigration authorities when they encounter people with immigration warrants.

The Mayor's Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security stated that Houston's proposed program would "strengthen enforcement and crime suppression, modernize public safety technology and intelligence, protect victims, improve street-level stabilization and public order, reduce recidivism, address youth violence, and strengthen frontline readiness."

The application was first scheduled for City Council consideration in September but was delayed twice as city officials sought clarification from the DOJ. The mayor's office has not said whether the city will revisit the application or formally withdraw it.