Houston mayor bolts early from ICE cooperation after blue wave crashes in Texas
Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced new restrictions on cooperation with federal immigration authorities following Texas' Democratic victory in the recent election.
The Democratic mayor of America's fourth-largest city is reversing course on cooperation with federal immigration authorities despite an executive order from defeated Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott that threatened the loss of millions in state funding for noncompliance. Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced Friday that city police are no longer permitted to notify ICE if they encounter an illegal immigrant in "nonviolent contacts" like traffic stops or minor offenses.
If they're charged with a new crime, we'll let ICE know as we get them to the jailhouse.
Texas Political Shift
The Lone Star State swung blue for the first time since its new senator-elect, James Talarico, was born. Abbott lost his bid for a fourth term Tuesday, and Talarico flipped one of the state's Senate seats blue for the first time since 1988. Texas' most recent Democratic governor, Ann Richards, was elected in 1990.
Whitmire did not respond to a request for comment but signaled to the Times that he made the decision at least in part because Abbott's order requiring DHS contact caused "anxiety" among Houstonians.
Policy Reversal
In a statement put out Friday afternoon, Whitmire said, "I have signed an executive order directing HPD to no longer contact ICE for nonviolent offences, helping reduce fear in our communities." He also acknowledged Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa won't take office until January but characterized his decision as "responsible" and "more effective policy."
A previous 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 the scene to oversee ICE involvement. The Houston City Council subsequently approved an ordinance in April limiting how long officers could detain individuals while awaiting ICE agents.
Whitmire backed revisions after Abbott threatened to withhold more than $100 million in state funding and then-Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into the city's immigration policies. Whitmire's latest announcement would instead limit ICE notifications to encounters involving jailable offenses, marking a return to the restrictions city lawmakers initially sought.
Related
