Dominic Anthony Walsh / Houston Public MediaHouston Mayor John Whitmire speaks about his proposed budget on May 5, 2026. Houston Mayor John Whitmire's administration said it has withdrawn its application for a federal grant tied to "immigration law enforcement" — after submitting the application without the city council's approval. The city asked for $150 million from the U.S. Department of Justice through its "Model Cities Initiative” (MCI), which President Donald Trump unveiled in June under the "Make America Safe Again" banner. The Houston Chronicle first reported on the application. Sign up for the Hello, Houston! daily newsletter to get local reports like this delivered directly to your inbox. Administration officials had placed the application on the council's agenda twice in September, pulling the item before a vote both times. Community members and some city council members raised concerns about grant guidelines calling for cities to “ensure that their initiatives align" with a number of priorities, including "immigration law enforcement operations." Last week, in response to questions about whether city officials planned to apply for the grant, Whitmire's office told Houston Public Media, "The City is not taking any action about the Model Cities Initiative at this time.” But in a written statement on Monday, Whitmire acknowledged submitting the application without approval. "In the effort to ensure the application was submitted on time, staff prematurely submitted it before the required council approval was secured," Whitmire said. "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." His office said the grant would’ve been used for programs “assisting Houston's unhoused population, in addition to fighting violent crime and reducing domestic violence.” On Monday, council member Alejandra Salinas said she "called on the Administration to immediately withdraw" the application, adding she had "a productive conversation with the Administration." "This is not simply a $150 million federal grant with no conditions attached," Salinas said in a statement. "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."