Houston Mayor John Whitmire, a Democrat, has issued an executive order directing the Houston Police Department to limit its cooperation with federal immigration officials. The move follows a week of significant Democratic victories in Texas during the midterm elections, including the election of the state's first Democratic governor since 1995, Gina Hinojosa, and its first Democratic senator since 1988.
Whitmire stated on Friday that he made the decision to "begin a healing process" and to "reduce fear and anxiety across our community." He acknowledged that he is making the move "knowing that elections matter."
Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz confirmed on Friday that officers will now only contact Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if an individual they arrest for a jailable offense also possesses an administrative ICE warrant. These warrants are issued internally by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Diaz explained that if police pull someone over for a minor traffic infraction and issue a citation, that person will simply go about their day.
Previously, Houston police were required to notify ICE if a person being searched came up with an administrative warrant in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database. The NCIC is a digital database containing records on stolen property, missing people, wanted persons, and those arrested for serious offenses.
Whitmire called for Congress to change federal immigration rules, stating that "ICE needs better training. They need body cameras. They need to be trained in de-escalation." He noted, "But this can only be done in Washington. I can only control what I can control."
A spokesperson for the DHS told KPRC 2 that they are "disappointed that sanctuary politicians seek to limit cooperation with ICE," asserting that law enforcement is "simply fulfilling their sworn duties to serve and protect our communities." The spokesperson added that partnerships with law enforcement are "critical to having the resources we need to arrest criminal illegal aliens across the country."
The policy shift comes amid months of public outcry in Houston following an incident earlier this year where an ICE officer fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national. Officials stated Araujo was not the intended target. More recently, an ICE officer was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon after allegedly hitting a man with a vehicle in Texas.
Whitmire had previously faced criticism for following immigration enforcement policies during the Trump administration. He had resisted previous calls to limit cooperation due to concerns that the White House might send a surge of immigration officials in response.
Republican Governor Greg Abbott, who lost his re-election bid, had previously threatened to pull millions in funds from cities including Houston, Dallas, and Austin if they did not allow full cooperation with federal immigration officials. The BBC contacted Abbott's office for comment.
Austin has also begun implementing a similar policy change.
