Houston councilors seek to lock ICE limits into law

Three Houston City Council members are moving to formalize the city's current rules on police cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Council members Alejandra Salinas, Edward Pollard, and Tiffany Thomas aim to convert Mayor John Whitmire's executive order into a binding city ordinance.

Whitmire signed the executive order on Friday. The directive restricts Houston Police Department interactions with ICE. Under the new rule, HPD may only contact federal agents if a suspect holds an active criminal warrant or has been arrested for a new offense that could lead to jail time.

Pollard argued that codifying the rule in an ordinance provides greater stability than an executive order. He stated that the proposed text mirrors the current executive order exactly. According to Pollard, placing the language in ordinance form would prevent any future administration from altering the policy.

Salinas indicated the proposal would also mandate increased transparency. She said the amendment requires public reporting on how HPD interacts with ICE. Salinas described the move as a logical next step for the current administration and the council members who supported limiting cooperation during the initial vote.

The Mayor's Office responded to the push in a statement to ABC13. The office said Whitmire supports his executive order as the city's method for handling these issues. Officials expressed concern that adding new provisions to the ordinance could increase the city's risk of violating state law.

The three council members countered that argument at a press conference on Tuesday. They noted that if the executive order complies with state law, the proposed ordinance should also pass legal scrutiny. The proposal requires a legal review before it can reach the council floor for a vote. Salinas said that process could be completed within a matter of weeks.