Overview
- Mayor John Whitmire signed the executive order on Friday directing the Houston Police Department to only contact ICE when someone arrested for a jailable offense also has an ICE administrative warrant, and HPD began issuing updated guidance the same day.
- Under the new rule officers will not refer people to ICE for routine encounters that produce only an administrative immigration warrant, so someone issued a citation for a minor traffic infraction would be allowed to leave.
- The Department of Homeland Security publicly criticized the move and warned reduced local cooperation could change how federal agents operate in Houston, while immigrant‑rights groups praised the order as reducing fear in communities.
- The change reverses earlier 2026 steps when Houston scaled back cooperation after Governor Greg Abbott threatened to withhold roughly $110 million in public‑safety grants under Texas' anti‑sanctuary law, leaving potential legal and funding risks until the new state leadership takes office.
- City records show nearly 200 HPD–ICE contacts from April through September, including dozens of handovers, and the order does not stop ICE from acting independently or alter the fact that HPD does not participate in a 287(g) deputation agreement.