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The Department of Justice logo is displayed before U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi arrives for a news conference at the agency on May 6, 2025, in Washington, DC. The DOJ announced in a June memo that it is aggressively prioritizing efforts to strip some Americans of their U.S. citizenship.
After repeated delays, Houston Mayor John Whitmire’s administration is “not taking any action … at this time” on an application for $150 million from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ), according to a spokesperson for the mayor’s office.
The administration’s plan to apply for the DOJ’s Model Cities Initiative (MCI) program drew criticism from some members of the public in recent weeks. They were concerned about grant guidelines calling for cities to “ensure that their initiatives align” with a number of priorities, including “immigration law enforcement operations.”
Ten people signed up to speak to the city council about the MCI application during a public comment session on Tuesday evening, including Jennefer Canales-Peláez, senior policy attorney and strategist with the Immigrant Legal Resource Center.
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“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.
President Donald Trump unveiled the MCI program in June under the banner “Make America Safe Again.” He said it was intended to “slash violent crime in major metropolitan areas all across our country.”
The application was slated for consideration by the city council in September, but was delayed twice as city officials sought clarification from the DOJ on the guidelines.
The Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security previously stated the city’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.
Last month, Whitmire downplayed the impact of the grant guidelines on city policy. He said the city’s analysis found the grant wouldn’t require action beyond what Houston police officers already do — contacting federal immigration authorities when they encounter people with immigration warrants.
Whitmire’s office did not say why they’re not currently taking action on the grant application.