Houston Mayor restricts police cooperation with ICE

Houston Mayor John Whitmire has signed an executive order restricting the Houston Police Department from notifying U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during routine traffic stops or for non-violent, non-jailable offenses. The directive aims to reduce fear within migrant communities by ensuring that local law enforcement does not facilitate immigration enforcement for minor infractions that do not pose a threat to public safety.

Under the new protocols, officers are only required to contact ICE if an individual faces a crime punishable by imprisonment or if there is an active administrative warrant. This policy follows previous attempts to regulate ICE interventions, including a March directive that required supervisors to monitor such contacts.

The decision comes amid significant political tension in Texas. Governor Greg Abbott has previously threatened to withhold over $100 million in public safety funding from jurisdictions that do not cooperate with immigration enforcement, and Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched inquiries into municipal policies. The shift in Houston follows recent local election results and ongoing community protests regarding federal immigration operations.