Overview
- The Justice Department announced Monday that roughly $1 billion in public safety grants will be offered to cities and police departments with conditions favoring cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
- About $700 million will be awarded through the long-standing COPS program and roughly $300 million through a new Model Cities Initiative that will fund two to four midsize cities.
- Model Cities departs from routine external peer review by putting application review and finalist selection in DOJ leadership, which critics say concentrates political control over awards.
- Grant documents state programs that "impede or hinder" federal immigration enforcement or fail to honor DHS requests can be disqualified and that cooperating jurisdictions will receive priority consideration.
- Advocates and many police leaders warn the policy will deter Democratic-led cities, erode community trust and reduce 911 cooperation, while the DOJ and DHS defend the link and legal challenges are likely given a similar past effort was litigated and reversed.