Justice Department Names Jacksonville, Baton Rouge, Jackson and St. Louis for Nearly $300 Million Crime Program; Awards Carry Immigration Conditions

The Justice Department on Friday named four jurisdictions to share nearly $300 million under its Model Cities Initiative, a program aimed at reducing violent crime: Jacksonville, Florida; East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; and St. Louis, Missouri.

The department did not say how much each jurisdiction will receive. It said it will work with each one to finalize and carry out a public safety plan, and that Attorney General Todd Blanche will visit all four next month to present the awards.

"These cities are setting an example of proactive law enforcement that will strengthen the rule of law and improve public safety in their jurisdictions," Blanche said in the announcement.

Associate Attorney General Stanley E. Woodward Jr. said in the same release that nonfatal violent crime declined 25 percent from 2024 to 2025. The department did not cite a source for that figure in the announcement.

What the Money Can Pay For

According to the department, the funding can cover hiring sworn and non-sworn officers and other staff for enforcement and prosecution, new technology and equipment, forensic capacity, and services for mental health and substance use aimed at reducing repeat offenses.

The department's application document for the program, which The Digital Free Press read, says the money will "emphasize common sense policing, including prioritizing deterrence through proactive policing and increasing police activity in high-crime areas." It also encourages "new technologies—including drones and artificial intelligence."

The document says the awards are cooperative agreements, which give the department "substantial involvement" in each city's project, over an expected 36-month award period. No local matching funds are required. Only local governments serving at least 100,000 people could apply, and the department planned to pick two to four.

The Conditions on the Awards

The application document lists conditions every applicant had to accept. Each had to agree to partner with the department on its projects, submit any subrecipient or partner for department pre-review and approval, and file "Certified Assurances as to Compliance with 8 U.S.C. § 1373," the federal law that bars local governments from restricting communication with immigration authorities about a person's immigration status.

A certification signed by the mayor or a senior official was a "basic minimum requirement," and applications without it "will be denied," according to the document. It also required written support from the mayor, the prosecutor, the sheriff and the local governing body, among others.

The document says awards will include a condition on "future reimbursement of the costs associated with federal law enforcement intervention or assistance provided in the event of a surge in violent crime or public disorder." It does not give a dollar figure or say how that cost would be calculated.

Among the department's listed priorities are supporting "immigration law enforcement operations" and enforcing bans on open drug use, urban camping, loitering and squatting. The document says the program will not fund any activity that impedes federal immigration enforcement, including failing to "give access to DHS agents, or honor DHS requests and provide requested notice to DHS agents."

How the Model Cities Program Started

The department announced the Model Cities Initiative in June 2026, saying it would build on what it described as early results in Memphis, Tennessee, and Washington, D.C.

Sources: U.S. Department of Justice, "Justice Department Announces Nearly $300 Million in Awards to Four Model Cities to Combat Violent Crime and Restore Law and Order" (Oct. 30, 2026): https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/justice-department-announces-nearly-300-million-awards-four-model-cities-combat-violent ; U.S. Department of Justice, "Department of Justice FY2026 Model Cities Initiative (MCI)" application document: https://www.justice.gov/asg/media/1444021/dl?inline ; U.S. Department of Justice, Model Cities Initiative announcement (June 2026): https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/making-america-safe-again-doj-award-300-million-model-cities-dedicated-restoring-law-and . Cover photo: Robert F. Kennedy Department of Justice Building by APK via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0.