Houston City Council members Alejandra Salinas, Edward Pollard and Tiffany Thomas introduced a new ordinance on Thursday aimed at reducing the Houston Police Department’s cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The proposal would stop officers from contacting ICE solely for a civil administrative warrant unless the stop results in a jailable criminal offense.
Key provisions of the ordinance
The measure would also require HPD to expand its quarterly ICE transparency reports. The reports must now detail the reasons for jail bookings and indicate whether the city contacted ICE about a victim or a suspect. By adding these requirements, the council hopes to increase accountability and give families and community advocates clearer insight into immigration enforcement actions.
Mayor Whitmire’s executive order
Mayor John Whitmire issued an executive order earlier this month directing HPD to cease notifying ICE when an individual is stopped for a non‑violent offense. Under the new directive, officers will only alert ICE if the stop leads to a jailable arrest. Whitmire said the change is intended to “begin a healing process to reduce fear and anxiety across our community” and noted that the upcoming state elections make the issue especially timely.
“I also do this knowing that elections matter. I’ve been in contact with the new statewide elected officials, and SB 4 is not a priority,” Whitmire told reporters at a Nov. 6 press conference.
State law context
Texas Senate Bill 4, a state law that bars sanctuary city policies, requires local law enforcement agencies and jails to honor ICE detainer requests. While SB 4 remains in effect, Whitmire’s order and the council’s proposed ordinance seek to limit the scope of cooperation to situations involving criminal arrests, thereby aligning local practice with the mayor’s vision while staying within the bounds of state law.
Council members’ rationale
In a joint statement, the three council members said, “For more than a year, Houston families, workers and advocates have demanded that City Hall limit HPD’s cooperation with ICE. Our new Prop A immigration ordinance builds on the measure we successfully fought to pass earlier this year.” They added that the ordinance would codify the mayor’s executive order, ensuring that future mayors acting alone could not easily reverse the policy.
Next steps
The ordinance will not be formally debated at the Nov. 10 council meeting, but officials from Councilmember Salinas’ office indicated that the proposal is likely to appear on the agenda in mid‑November or early December. If approved, the ordinance would take effect immediately, changing how Houston law enforcement interacts with federal immigration officials.
The move has drawn praise from local immigrant‑rights groups who see it as a step toward restoring trust between law‑enforcement and the community. Critics, including some state‑level officials, argue that the changes could conflict with SB 4’s requirements, though no formal legal challenge has been announced.
Original reporting: Community Impact — Houston — read the source article.
