Houston Orders Limits on ICE Cooperation
Houston Mayor John Whitmire said the city would limit its cooperation with federal immigration authorities, describing the approach as a new model for immigration enforcement. The order came as Democrats took control in Texas, a first in many decades.
Whitmire said Houston would focus enforcement on immigrants who pose a danger, rather than people going about family, work or education. He said nonviolent offenses that do not carry jail time would not prompt contact with U.S. federal immigration officers.
For traffic incidents, Whitmire said, officers would issue a citation or warning and let people continue on their way. He said the change was intended to reduce fear and anxiety. The order makes Houston, the nation’s fourth-largest city, one of the first to take steps to curb ICE’s powers since the election.
Houston Moves to Protect Immigrant Families From ICE
Houston is drawing a line between public safety and immigration enforcement, with Mayor John Whitmire signing an order to limit cooperation with federal authorities. The move followed Democrats taking control in Texas, a first in many decades.
Whitmire said the city would target immigrants who pose a danger, not people pursuing family life, work or education. For traffic incidents and other nonviolent offenses that do not carry jail time, he said, city officers would not contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Officers would issue a citation or warning and allow people to go on their way.
Whitmire said the approach would reduce fear and anxiety. Houston, the nation’s fourth-largest city, is among the first to move to curb ICE’s powers since the election. The order puts the focus on dangerous conduct rather than turning everyday encounters into a route to federal immigration enforcement.
Houston Restricts ICE Cooperation After Texas Election Shift
Houston Mayor John Whitmire has moved to restrict the city’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities, calling the approach a new model as Democrats took control in Texas, a first in many decades. The order makes Houston one of the first cities to curb ICE’s powers since the election.
Whitmire said Houston would focus on immigrants who pose a danger and avoid contacting federal immigration authorities about nonviolent offenses that do not carry jail time. For traffic incidents, officers would issue a citation or warning and let people leave, he said.
The mayor said the change would reduce fear and anxiety. But the policy also narrows when city officers will work with federal immigration authorities, even as Whitmire says the city will pursue people he considers dangerous. Houston’s order marks a consequential change in how the nation’s fourth-largest city handles those encounters.
Reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer, ClickOnDetroit WDIV, Houston Public Media.
