Houston council members seek permanent limits on HPD-ICE cooperation
The proposed ordinance would prohibit Houston Police Department officers from prolonging a traffic stop, holding someone or contacting U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement only on the basis of a civil immigration warrant, except when the person is also facing arrest for an imprisonable criminal offense. Mayor John Whitmire’s November 6 executive order set out comparable restrictions, but the council members say enshrining them in city law would keep a future mayor from repealing them unilaterally.
Council Members Alejandra Salinas, Edward Pollard and Tiffany Thomas filed the proposal under Proposition A, which lets three or more council members ask for an item to appear on a regular agenda. No vote has been scheduled, and council approval would be required. The city legal department checks submissions for proper form and legality.
The measure would also add information to Houston police’s quarterly reports about immigration-related contacts, such as the reason for a jail booking and whether the person ICE was contacted about was a victim or a suspect. Between July and September, HPD logged 88 immigration-related database matches or ICE interactions among 292,975 person checks. The department reported that 58 people were let go at the location, 17 were handed over to ICE, and 13 were jailed for unrelated charges.
Houston adopted an immigration ordinance in April, then revised it after state officials expressed concerns over public safety grant funding. Mayor Whitmire’s communications office said he supports his executive order and believes adding provisions to the ordinance could raise the city’s chances of breaking state law. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson faulted local restrictions on cooperation with ICE.
The sponsors pointed to the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an ICE agent to explain the urgency. Patricia Cabrera of East End Communities welcomed the executive order but said trust would take time to restore and called for further discussion of how the proposed ordinance would operate. HPD Chief J. Noe Diaz said officers received the executive order and would hear it read during roll call for five days in a row.
Houston lawmakers seek lasting safeguards against immigration detentions
Houston should not leave protections against immigration-based detentions to the discretion of one mayor. Council Members Alejandra Salinas, Edward Pollard and Tiffany Thomas have proposed making them city law, so a future mayor could not reverse them alone.
Their ordinance would bar Houston police from prolonging a stop, holding someone or contacting ICE only on the basis of a civil immigration warrant, except when the person also faces arrest for an imprisonable criminal offense. It would also call for more information in quarterly public reports, such as the reason for a jail booking and whether the person ICE was contacted about was a victim or suspect.
The department’s numbers show why oversight matters: between July and September, HPD logged 88 immigration-related database matches or ICE interactions among 292,975 person checks. Fifty-eight people were let go at the location, 17 were handed over to ICE and 13 were jailed for unrelated charges. The report also showed average traffic-stop detention time reached 46 minutes by September.
The proposal follows an April ordinance that was amended after state officials raised concerns about public safety grant funding. Mayor John Whitmire says extra provisions could put Houston at greater risk of violating state law, while the sponsors say writing the protections into law would uphold constitutional rights and keep police focused on serious crimes. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson also faulted local restrictions on cooperation with ICE.
The council members referred to the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an ICE agent in urging action. The ordinance, filed under Proposition A, has no scheduled vote and must still win council approval. The key question is whether Houston’s protections can last beyond an executive order and one administration.
Houston council proposal risks conflict with state immigration law
Three Houston council members want to make Mayor John Whitmire’s recent restrictions on police cooperation with ICE city law, despite the mayor’s warning that extra provisions could put the city at greater risk of violating state law. The dispute raises the question of whether Houston should adopt a broader local restriction while state law limits policies that curb cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
The proposed ordinance would prohibit officers from prolonging a stop, holding someone or contacting ICE only on the basis of a civil immigration warrant, except when the person also faces arrest for an imprisonable criminal offense. The sponsors say making the limits law would prevent a future mayor from reversing them alone. Whitmire’s communications office stands by his November 6 executive order and says he hopes incoming state leaders will reconsider Senate Bill 4.
The state had already raised concerns about Houston’s April immigration ordinance and public safety grant funding, prompting the city to revise that measure. The new proposal would also call for more information in quarterly reports, such as why someone was booked into jail and whether the person ICE was contacted about was a victim or suspect.
Between July and September, HPD logged 88 immigration-related database matches or ICE interactions among 292,975 person checks. Fifty-eight people were let go at the location, 17 were handed over to ICE and 13 were jailed for unrelated charges. A Department of Homeland Security spokesperson faulted local attempts to restrict cooperation, saying partnerships help federal officers make arrests.
The council members referred to the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an ICE agent while promoting the measure. Filed under Proposition A, the ordinance has no scheduled vote and still needs council approval. The city legal department checks such submissions for proper form and legality.
Reported by KPRC 2 Click2Houston, FOX 26 Houston.
