Houston Mayor John Whitmire has instructed the city's police department to scale back its cooperation with federal immigration authorities, marking a significant shift in local policy following this week's midterm elections that saw Democrats make historic gains in Texas.
A Break from State Policy
The move by Whitmire, a Democrat, directly challenges the hardline immigration stance of Republican Governor Greg Abbott, who lost his re-election bid. Whitmire framed the decision as a step toward healing and reducing fear in the community. "I do this to begin a healing process," he said on Friday, adding that "elections matter." The mayor's announcement comes after months of public outrage over the fatal shooting of a man by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officer in Houston.
New Rules for Police
Under the new directive, Houston police officers will only contact ICE if they arrest someone for a jailable offense and that individual also has an administrative ICE warrant, which are issued internally by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). Previously, officers were required to notify ICE if a person had such a warrant in the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) database, even during minor encounters. Police Chief Noe Diaz explained the change: "For example, if our police officers pull someone over for a minor traffic infraction and they write a citation, that person receives a citation and goes about their day."
Whitmire issued the change through an executive order and also urged Congress to reform federal immigration laws. He called for better training for ICE agents, including de-escalation tactics and the use of body cameras. "But this can only be done in Washington," he noted. "I can only control what I can control."
Background and Reaction
The policy shift follows the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a 52-year-old Mexican national who had lived in the US undocumented for decades. Officials said he was not the intended target. The incident sparked large protests in Houston. In response to the new policy, a DHS spokesperson expressed disappointment, telling local media that "sanctuary politicians seek to limit cooperation with ICE" and that such partnerships are critical for arresting criminal illegal aliens.
Meanwhile, Austin has begun implementing a similar policy change. The midterm elections saw Democrats win control of both the US Senate and House of Representatives, and Texas elected its first Latina governor, Gina Hinojosa, as well as its first Democratic senator since 1988.
Whitmire had previously resisted calls for such changes, fearing retaliation from the White House. Governor Abbott has threatened to withhold millions in funds from cities like Houston, Dallas, and Austin unless they fully cooperate with federal immigration officials. The BBC has reached out to Abbott's office for comment.
The announcement comes a week after an ICE officer was charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly hitting a man with a vehicle in Texas.
