Houston councilors seek to codify police and ICE limits into city code
Three council members introduced an ordinance to lock in restrictions on Houston Police Department cooperation with federal immigration agents, preventing future mayors from reversing current policies.
By Ella Cox ·
Three Houston City Council members introduced a new ordinance this week to make restrictions on police cooperation with federal immigration agents permanent.
Alejandra Salinas, Edward Pollard, and Tiffany Thomas filed the measure on Nov. 9. The proposal would align city code with an executive order Mayor John Whitmire signed on Nov. 6. The ordinance would stop a future mayor from repealing the protections without a council vote.
The bill would prevent Houston Police Department officers from extending a traffic stop or detaining a person solely based on a civil administrative immigration warrant. Officers could still make contact if the individual is arrested for a criminal offense that carries jail time. The ordinance also requires more detailed data in quarterly transparency reports, including the specific reason for jail bookings and whether ICE was contacted regarding a victim or a suspect.
Administrative warrants are civil documents issued by federal immigration authorities. They are distinct from criminal arrest warrants issued by judges.
The effort follows a dispute that began in April when the council first approved limits on police contact with ICE. State officials threatened to withhold more than $110 million in public safety funding if the city did not reverse course. Whitmire pushed for amendments to save those grants. The new proposal, labeled Prop A by the sponsors, aims to secure the protections in law.
In a joint statement, the council members cited the death of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo and the injuries of Miguel Parra-Hernandez as reasons for urgency. They noted that Democrats won the governor and attorney general races in Texas last week. The group stated that Houstonians have demanded these limits for over a year and that the ordinance would ensure the protections outlast any single administration.
Whitmire’s executive order is already in effect. Police Chief J. Noe Diaz said officers received the directive immediately and will hear it read at roll call for five days. The department’s last quarterly report showed 88 immigration-related contacts between July and September. Seventeen people were transferred to ICE custody and 58 were released on the scene. The average detention time during traffic stops reached 46 minutes by September. Cesar Espinosa of FIEL Houston called the executive order a victory but maintained that the group still demands ICE leave the city. The council has not yet scheduled a vote on the new ordinance.
