Houston mayor limits city police cooperation with ICE

John Whitmire, the mayor of Houston, has issued an executive order requiring the city's police force to significantly restrict its collaboration with United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This directive, issued on Friday, follows a series of Democratic victories in statewide elections across Texas.

Under the new policy, Houston police are now instructed to contact federal immigration authorities only when an individual is being detained for a jailable offence. According to the mayor, this shift is intended to alleviate anxiety and fear within the community. He noted that he consulted with the state's newly elected governor, lieutenant governor, and comptroller regarding the decision.

Whitmire told reporters, “Elections matter.” He added, “I do this to begin a healing process,” and expressed a hope that the move would serve as a model for other municipalities in Texas. Houston Police Chief J Noe Diaz, who appeared alongside the mayor, confirmed his support for the change and stated that his department has already commenced implementation.

The updated rules mean that individuals stopped for minor traffic infractions will no longer be referred to ICE solely due to an administrative immigration warrant. This action replaces a policy that Whitmire introduced in April, which had been enacted under pressure from outgoing Republican Governor Greg Abbott.

Governor Abbott had previously threatened to withhold approximately $110m in state public safety grants, claiming that local ordinances limiting police interaction with ICE violated Senate Bill 4, a 2017 state law. Additionally, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had initiated a lawsuit against the mayor, the city council, and the police chief concerning the matter.

Whitmire remarked, “We’re taking an interpretation of the law today, working with the newly elected members of the state leadership, in implementing this policy.” He further stated, “We don’t want people to worry about ⁠their workers, their family members, their students.”

The matter has been subject to significant attention in the city, with reports from the Houston Chronicle indicating that police contacted ICE at least 107 times during the first eight months of 2025, compared to nine instances throughout 2024. This follows an incident in July in which an ICE agent fatally shot Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a long-term resident of the city.

Cesar Espinosa, the Executive Director of the immigrant rights group FIEL Houston, described the order as a victory. In a statement to KPRC, he said, “Today Houston won. Today our community can breathe easier.” Meanwhile, in Austin, Mayor Kirk Watson has requested that city officials revise their own policies regarding ICE warrants.