The mayor of Houston, the most populous city in the US state of Texas, has ordered the local police force to sharply limit its cooperation with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The executive order issued by John Whitmire came on Friday, arriving just days after Democrats advanced in statewide offices across the traditionally Republican-leaning state. According to the directive, Houston police will purportedly contact ICE only when an individual is being formally arrested for a jailable offense, rolling back previous enforcement standards.
Key Takeaways: Houston Mayor John Whitmire signed an executive order restricting city police collaboration with federal immigration authorities. Under the updated guidelines, individuals stopped for minor traffic violations will no longer be referred to ICE solely based on administrative warrants. The policy shift is allegedly designed to alleviate fear and anxiety within immigrant communities across the urban center. *.
This sudden reversal effectively dismantles a stricter policy that Whitmire had instituted back in April under intense pressure from outgoing Republican Governor Greg Abbott. At the time, Abbott had threatened to withdraw approximately $110 million in state public safety grants, arguing that city ordinances limiting police interaction with ICE breached a stringent 2017 state law known as Senate Bill 4. Furthermore, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton had filed lawsuits against the mayor, city council, and police chief over the prior sanctuary-style rules.
Addressing reporters, Whitmire claimed he had consulted with newly elected members of the state leadership prior to enacting the policy, stating the move was intended to initiate a healing process. “We don’t want people to worry about their workers, their family members, their students,” Whitmire supposedly stated during the press conference. Joining him, Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz voiced support for the transition, confirming that his department had already begun implementing the revised operational directives.
The issue has sparked intense public scrutiny and friction in Houston, fueled by reports that city police contacted ICE significantly more often in recent months compared to previous years. The tense environment was further exacerbated in July when an ICE agent fatally shot a longtime Houston resident. While immigrant advocacy groups like FIEL Houston welcomed the executive order as a belated victory, the long-term viability of the policy remains uncertain as other Texas municipalities begin evaluating similar legal adjustments.
Source: www.aljazeera.com