San Antonio City Council members Teri Castillo (District 5), Jalen McKee‑Rodriguez (District 2) and Ric Galvan (District 6) submitted a memorandum on Nov. 6 requesting a special council meeting no later than 2 p.m. on Nov. 17. The purpose of the meeting would be to consider an ordinance that narrows the circumstances under which the San Antonio Police Department (SAPD) may refer individuals to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Proposed limits on ICE referrals
Under the draft ordinance, SAPD officers would be permitted to contact ICE only when the individual is already being taken into custody on new criminal charges or other warrants, and a national law‑enforcement database shows an ICE administrative warrant. An ICE administrative warrant is a civil immigration enforcement tool issued by immigration officials; it does not, by itself, indicate a criminal charge.
The ordinance would also prohibit officers from holding a person in the field solely for ICE to pick them up, and it would make clear that merely being subject to immigration enforcement—or being suspected of it—does not justify detention or ICE contact.
Council members’ rationale
“We’re asking that our city manager have a conversation and direct our police chief to essentially deprioritize detaining and contacting ICE for individuals that may be stopped by PD for a low‑level crime that typically does not result in an arrest,” Councilmember Castillo said.
Castillo emphasized that many families in San Antonio fear a routine traffic stop could lead to immigration detention. “Many of our families do fear that they will be pulled over for something minor that could result in detainment and the contact of ICE,” she added, noting that parents and community leaders have voiced concerns about how immigration enforcement impacts daily life.
Regional context
The memo arrives as other major Texas cities reassess their cooperation with ICE following the November 3 elections. In Houston, Mayor John Whitmire ordered police to stop notifying ICE solely on the basis of a civil immigration warrant, allowing notification only when the person is also being arrested for a jailable offense. Whitmire said he consulted the incoming governor, lieutenant governor and comptroller before issuing the order, and earlier this year Houston backed away from a similar change after Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to withhold at least $110 million in public‑safety grants.
In Austin, Mayor Kirk Watson announced plans to revise the city’s ICE cooperation rules, directing Police Chief Lisa Davis to draft a policy for when Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa takes office in January. Watson noted that the incoming administration provides an opportunity for local decisions without the pressure of funding threats.
State law backdrop
Despite these municipal moves, Texas Senate Bill 4 remains in effect, limiting local policies that restrict cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Councilmember Castillo acknowledged the potential for future funding threats but expressed confidence that the political shift will reduce such pressures.
“The typical threats that we’ve received from the state that come in January will be a thing of the past,” she said.
Next steps
If the council approves the ordinance, the city manager would work with the police chief to implement the new guidance, including documentation procedures for any ICE contacts that do occur.
Original reporting: San Antonio Report — read the source article.
