Three Houston City Council members filed a Proposition A ordinance that would codify Mayor John Whitmire’s recent executive order limiting Houston Police Department (HPD) contacts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The move responds to longstanding community calls for reduced ICE cooperation and aims to protect families and workers from unnecessary fear.
According to Community Impact, Councilmembers Alejandra Salinas, Edward Pollard and Tiffany Thomas propose that HPD no longer contact ICE solely for a civil immigration warrant unless the stop results in a jailable criminal offense. The ordinance would also require more detail in HPD’s quarterly ICE transparency reports, including the reason for each jail booking and whether the person contacted was a victim or a suspect.
Mayor Whitmire announced the executive order at a Nov. 6 press conference, directing HPD to contact ICE only when a person is already facing jail on new charges or other warrants and a national database check reveals an ICE administrative warrant. “I do this to begin a healing process to reduce fear and anxiety across our community,” Whitmire said, adding that he is in contact with newly elected state officials and that Senate Bill 4 is not a priority.
Fox 26 Houston reported that from July through September, before the mayor’s order, HPD recorded 88 immigration‑related database hits or ICE contacts out of 292,975 person checks. Of those, 58 individuals were released at the scene, 17 were transferred to ICE and 13 were jailed on separate, non‑immigration charges.
Councilmember Salinas told Fox 26, “The protections the mayor announced should not just stay with one mayor, but should last throughout Houston and be the law of the land.” East End Communities director Patricia Cabrera welcomed the policy change, noting that rebuilding trust will take time after the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an ICE agent. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson criticized the limits, arguing that local‑federal partnerships aid arrests, though no specific operational changes were cited.
The sponsors filed the proposal under Proposition A, which requires the city’s legal department to review the submission before it can be placed on a regular council agenda. While the ordinance will not be discussed at the Nov. 10 council meeting, officials indicated it could appear on the agenda in mid‑November or early December. If approved, the ordinance would take effect immediately.
What’s next: The city legal department will review the proposal, after which council members hope to schedule a vote later this month. Residents can follow council updates for the exact meeting date and provide public comment during the review period.
Sources: communityimpact.com, fox26houston.com, fox26houston.com
