Houston, Texas: Mayor Whitmire Signs Order Limiting When Houston Police Contact ICE

HOUSTON, Texas (Orbit Post) Houston Mayor John Whitmire signed an executive order on Friday, November 6 that limits when Houston Police Department officers contact federal immigration authorities, the Associated Press and FOX 26 Houston reported. Under the new policy, HPD contacts U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement only when a person is arrested for a jailable offense and also has an administrative ICE warrant.

What changes on the street

A person who has an administrative warrant but is not arrested will no longer trigger a call to ICE on that basis alone. If an officer issues a citation, that person is allowed to go about their day, FOX 26 reported. Whitmire announced the order alongside Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz, who confirmed the department is updating its directive to officers and said ICE will only be contacted if someone commits a jailable offense.

When an arrested person with a qualifying warrant is taken to jail, officers will notify ICE, and from there the Harris County Jail and Harris County government carry the responsibility of responding, Whitmire said. The Associated Press reported that a traffic incident will not lead to contact with ICE over a nonviolent, non-jailable offense.

Why the mayor acted now

Whitmire said the city would go after immigrants who pose a danger, not those who are going about their family business, work and education, and he called the change a new model of immigration enforcement, according to the Associated Press. He said the order is intended to reduce fear and anxiety among Houston residents while allowing officers to focus on public safety, and he pointed to students and workers among those affected.

The mayor said he voted against Senate Bill 4 while serving in the Texas Legislature because of concerns about the fear and anxiety it could create, while also saying he understands the intent of the legislation was to remove dangerous criminals from Texas streets. He pointed to the city's dependence on state funding for services including public safety, transportation and the health department as a factor in how his administration previously handled the issue.

After Tuesday's election

Whitmire said his decision followed conversations with newly elected state leaders, members of his administration, HPD leadership and community members. The Associated Press described the order as one of the first steps to curb ICE's powers since Tuesday's election, after Democrats won power in Texas for the first time in decades, and noted that Governor Greg Abbott lost his bid for a fourth term to Democrat Gina Hinojosa. Whitmire said he is moving forward even though the current state administration remains in office for another two months, and he said he will take responsibility for making the change.