Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced Friday that city police will no longer notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) about individuals encountered during nonviolent incidents, such as traffic stops or minor offenses. This policy shift comes shortly after Texas experienced a significant electoral shift, with Democrats winning a U.S. Senate seat for the first time in decades.
Whitmire stated that police will continue to notify ICE if an individual is charged with a new crime and is taken to jail. "I have signed an executive order directing HPD to no longer contact ICE for nonviolent offenses, helping reduce fear in our communities," Whitmire said in a statement. He characterized the decision as a move toward "more effective policy" despite the incoming governor not taking office until January.
The change represents a reversal from previous policies enacted under former Texas Governor Greg Abbott's administration, which had mandated cooperation with ICE and threatened state funding for noncompliance. Abbott, who lost his bid for a fourth term, had issued an executive order requiring contact with federal immigration authorities. In April, the Houston City Council had approved an ordinance limiting how long officers could detain individuals awaiting ICE agents, but Whitmire later backed revisions after Abbott threatened to withhold over $100 million in state funding.
A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson expressed disappointment with the decision, stating, "We remain disappointed that sanctuary politicians seek to limit cooperation with ICE, as our law enforcement are simply fulfilling their sworn duties to serve and protect our communities." The spokesperson emphasized the importance of partnerships with law enforcement to apprehend "criminal illegal aliens" and cited examples of individuals with serious convictions who were apprehended by ICE in Houston.
Whitmire's latest directive limits ICE notifications to encounters involving jailable offenses, returning the policy to restrictions previously sought by city lawmakers. Previously, a policy enacted in March by Whitmire and Police Chief Noe Diaz stipulated that if a background check revealed an immigration-related warrant, a sergeant would be called to oversee ICE involvement, and subjects would be released if ICE could not arrive within 30 minutes. Whitmire's new executive order aims to alleviate "anxiety" among Houston residents regarding interactions with law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.