Houston Mayor Orders Police to Limit ICE Cooperation

Houston Mayor John Whitmire, a Democrat, signed an order Friday directing the city's police to limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, according to the BBC.

The New Policy

Under the directive, Houston police officers will contact ICE only if someone they arrest for a jailable offense also has an administrative ICE warrant, which are issued internally by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), within which ICE operates.

Houston police chief Noe Diaz said: "For example, if our police officers pull someone over for a minor traffic infraction and they write a citation, that person receives a citation and goes about their day."

Previously, officers were required to inform ICE if anyone they dealt with had an administrative warrant attached to their name when searched on the National Crime Information Center (NCIC), a digital database that includes records on wanted persons, stolen property, certain missing people and those arrested and fingerprinted for serious offences.

Whitmire said he directed the Houston Police Department to make the changes through an executive order. He also called on Congress to change federal immigration rules, saying: "ICE needs better training. They need body cameras. They need to be trained in de-escalation." He added: "But this can only be done in Washington. I can only control what I can control."

Political Context

The move follows Tuesday's elections, in which Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, according to the BBC. Hinojosa will be the first Democrat to hold the governor's office since Ann Richards left in 1995, according to NTD. In addition, Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton in the U.S. Senate race, according to NTD.

Whitmire said on Friday: "I do this to begin a healing process," and to "reduce fear and anxiety across our community." He added: "I also do this knowing that elections matter."

Responses

A spokesperson for the DHS told Houston's NBC affiliate, KPRC 2, in a statement: "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 added: "Partnerships with law enforcement are critical to having the resources we need to arrest criminal illegal aliens across the country."

Abbott has threatened to pull millions in funds from cities like Houston, Dallas and Austin unless they allow police to cooperate fully with federal immigration officials, according to the BBC. The BBC has contacted Abbott's office for comment.

Another Texas city, Austin, has also begun implementing a similar policy change, according to the BBC.

Why it matters

The policy change comes after months of public outcry in Houston following an incident in which an ICE officer fatally shot a man who was driving to work. The deceased, Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national who lived in the US as an undocumented immigrant for decades, was not the intended target, officials said after the incident, according to the BBC. Whitmire's announcement comes a week after an ICE officer was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after he allegedly hit a man with a vehicle in Texas, according to the BBC.

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Sources

• bbc.com: Texas mayor instructs police to limit co-operation with ICE
• nilepost.co.ug: Texas mayor instructs police to limit co-operation with ICE | Nilepost
• cbs19news.com: Houston will limit ICE cooperation in response to Democrats taking power in Texas, mayor says | News | cbs19news.com
• ntd.com: Houston Mayor Limits Cooperation with ICE After Democratic Victories in Texas | NTD

This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.