Houston Mayor John Whitmire’s administration is withdrawing its application for as much as $150 million in federal public safety funding after city officials acknowledged the application was submitted without first receiving approval from the city council.
The city applied for funding through the U.S. Department of Justice’s Model Cities Initiative before the program’s September 1 deadline, even as the proposal was repeatedly pulled from the council agenda amid questions about its potential impact on Houston’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Whitmire said Monday that staff had submitted the application prematurely while attempting to meet the deadline.
“Due to that error and current lack of clarification on the program’s guidelines, the city of Houston is withdrawing its application,” Whitmire said. The mayor’s office said the city had sought the funding to support efforts involving violent crime, homelessness, and domestic violence, but indicated Houston could decline the money if accepting it required additional immigration enforcement responsibilities.
The Department of Justice launched the Model Cities Initiative in June as part of the Trump administration’s Make America Safe Again agenda. The department plans to distribute approximately $300 million among two to four cities for public safety programs, ranging from additional law enforcement personnel and technology to mental health treatment, victim services, and youth crime prevention.
DOJ guidelines state that applicants must ensure their proposals align with several federal priorities, the first of which is directly supporting law enforcement operations, including immigration law enforcement operations. Applicants must also certify compliance with federal immigration law under 8 U.S.C. § 1373.
Houston’s request would have divided the money among more than a dozen local agencies and organizations, including the Houston Police Department, METRO, Harris County and the city’s health department. The proposal included law enforcement spending alongside services for homeless residents, youth, and individuals leaving prison.
Councilmember Amy Peck said last month that officials were seeking more information from the federal government about what participation would require from Houston and HPD.
The dispute comes after months of clashes at Houston City Hall over cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
In April, council members voted 12-5 to approve an ordinance eliminating a requirement that HPD officers hold individuals for up to 30 minutes while waiting for ICE agents to respond. Gov. Greg Abbott subsequently threatened to withdraw more than $110 million in state public safety funding, prompting Whitmire to seek changes to the ordinance. The council later approved an amended policy in a 13-4 vote.
Tensions surrounding ICE resurfaced in July after an immigration agent fatally shot Mexican national Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during an enforcement operation in Houston. Several city officials called for an independent investigation, while federal officials said Araujo attempted to use his vehicle against an agent before being shot. Whitmire later joined calls for an independent review.
Houston police have continued cooperating with federal immigration authorities under the revised policy. An HPD report covering April through June found officers encountered 103 people with civil immigration warrants, with 19 ultimately taken into ICE custody.
The Model Cities application became the latest point of contention over that relationship. According to the Chronicle, at least three council members said they had not known the administration had already applied for the funding, while Councilmember Joaquin Martinez said he would have opposed accepting the grant if it reached a council vote.
