Exclusive: Chicago rejects DOJ grants tied to Trump's immigration policies
Source: Reuters
November 21, 2025 7:22 PM EST Updated 11 hours ago
Nov 21 (Reuters) - Chicago will not apply for federal community violence intervention grants after the Trump administration reshaped the program to focus on law enforcement and immigration, the city said this week, calling the new stipulations an effort to politicize public safety.
"The city of Chicago does not intend to apply for any federal grants that require the city to comply with President Trump's political aims," Mayor Brandon Johnson's press office said in a statement first shared with Reuters. The U.S. Department of Justice confirmed it has shifted the focus of the grant, which was originally intended to support community violence-prevention efforts.
Chicago officials and the Trump administration hold conflicting notions about what constitutes effective violence prevention. Johnson characterized the administration's decision to rescind more than $800 million in violence prevention grants in April
, opens new tab as "politically motivated."
The move to shun the new grants marks the latest flashpoint between the city and the administration over its aggressive immigration crackdown. Chicago previously sued the Trump administration over conditions it called "illegal restrictions" on other community policing grants. The DOJ did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday about Chicago's decision to avoid seeking the grant funding.
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/world/chicago-rejects-doj-grants-tied-trumps-immigration-policies-2025-11-21/
= new reply since forum marked as read
