Mayor John Whitmire’s administration has withdrawn its application for a $150 million federal grant tied to “immigration law enforcement.” The decision follows weeks of questions about the program’s terms.
The grant request came through the U.S. Department of Justice’s “Model Cities Initiative,” or MCI, which Trump unveiled in June under the “Make America Safe Again” banner. The Houston Chronicle first reported on the application. Officials placed it on the city council’s agenda twice in September, pulling it before a vote both times.
Whitmire said in a written statement on Monday that the withdrawal was necessary because of an administrative error and ongoing confusion about the program’s guidelines.
Whitmire’s Statement
Whitmire’s office said the grant would have funded programs “assisting Houston’s unhoused population, in addition to fighting violent crime and reducing domestic violence.”
He explained the situation in his statement: “In the effort to ensure the application was submitted on time, staff prematurely submitted it before the required council approval was secured.” He added, “Due to that error and current lack of clarification on the program’s guidelines, the City of Houston is withdrawing its application and will not pursue the Model Cities Initiative grant.”
The administration had told Houston Public Media last week that it was not taking any action on the initiative at that time. That position has now changed.
Salinas Pushes Back
Council member Alejandra Salinas was among those who pushed back against the grant. She said she “called on the Administration to immediately withdraw” the application.
Salinas also said she had “a productive conversation with the Administration.” Her broader concern was not just the money but the conditions attached to it.
“This is not simply a $150 million federal grant with no conditions attached,” she said. “The Department of Justice’s own MCI grant materials raise serious concerns about whether the City could refuse requests to assist in ICE operations without jeopardizing that funding.”
The Grant’s Conditions
The MCI application asks cities to “ensure that their initiatives align” with a number of priorities, including:
- Immigration law enforcement operations
Community members and some council members raised concerns about those requirements.
Timeline of Events
- Trump unveiled MCI in June under the “Make America Safe Again” banner
- The Houston Chronicle first reported on the application
- Officials placed the application on the council’s agenda twice in September, pulling it before a vote both times
- Last week, Whitmire’s office told Houston Public Media, “The City is not taking any action about the Model Cities Initiative at this time”
- Salinas said she “called on the Administration to immediately withdraw” the application
- In a written statement on Monday, Whitmire said the application was withdrawn due to a premature submission and lack of program clarity
The Decision
Whitmire’s administration withdrew the application after submitting it without council approval.
What Comes Next
The withdrawal means Houston will not receive the $150 million. The city’s existing programs for the unhoused, violent crime reduction and domestic violence prevention will continue.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs Mayor John Whitmire’s withdrawal of the grant request and is against the Model Cities Initiative’s concentration of federal power over local immigration law enforcement. The administration’s stated reason — an administrative error and ongoing confusion about the program’s guidelines — is a valid one, but the underlying problem is the initiative itself. When the federal government demands cities condition public safety funding on cooperation with immigration enforcement, it puts local officers in a position they should not be forced into.
The Model Cities Initiative asks cities to “ensure that their initiatives align” with federal priorities, including immigration law enforcement operations. That is a demand for cities to subordinate their own judgment to federal dictates. The paper opposes such mandates on principle, and this grant fits that pattern exactly. Council member Alejandra Salinas’s concern about whether the city could refuse requests to assist ICE operations without losing funding is the kind of pressure the paper wants to see resisted.
When the federal government offers cities money with conditions attached, the paper wants those conditions examined closely. The paper would prefer that local officials act on their own authority rather than seek federal permission for how they enforce laws. In this case, the withdrawal removes the immediate threat, but the initiative remains on the table for other cities. The reader should watch for similar proposals that tie local policing to federal immigration policy, and judge them by the same standard: does this arrangement concentrate power in Washington, or does it leave decisions where they belong — with the people and institutions closest to the ground?
Source material: “Mayor Whitmire’s administration withdraws ‘immigration law enforcement’ related grant after secret application,” Houston Public Media.
Get the Notebook.
The day's best stories and every fresh verdict, in plain English, in your inbox by seven. One email a day, no more.