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The Democratic mayor of America’s fourth-largest city is reversing course on cooperation with federal immigration authorities despite an executive order from defeated Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbott that threatened the loss of millions in state funding for noncompliance.
The Lone Star State swung blue for the first time since its new senator-elect, James Talarico, was born, and Houston Mayor John Whitmire wasted no time Friday announcing new restrictions on cooperation with ICE.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire told the New York Times that city police are not permitted to notify ICE if they encounter an illegal immigrant in “nonviolent contacts” like traffic stops or minor offenses.
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“If they’re charged with a new crime, we’ll let ICE know as we get them to the jailhouse,” he told the paper Friday.
Abbott lost his bid for a fourth term Tuesday, and Talarico flipped one of the state’s Senate seats blue for the first time since Clinton Treasury Secretary Lloyd Bentsen won his final reelection bid in 1988 — seven months before the current senator-elect was born.
Texas’ most recent Democratic governor, Ann Richards, the mother of former longtime Planned Parenthood president Cecile Richards, was elected shortly thereafter in 1990.
Whitmire did not respond to a request for comment but signaled to the Times that he made the decision at least in part because Abbott’s order requiring DHS contact caused “anxiety” among Houstonians.
In a statement put out Friday afternoon, Whitmire said, “I have signed an executive order directing HPD to no longer contact ICE for nonviolent offences, helping reduce fear in our communities. Thank you to Chief Diaz, our state and local leaders for their collaboration. A step toward building a stronger Houston. Let’s Go to Work.”
He also acknowledged Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa won’t take office until January but characterized his decision as “responsible” and “more effective policy.”
A DHS spokesperson responded to Whitmire’s move in comments to Fox News Digital.
“We remain disappointed that sanctuary politicians seek to limit cooperation with ICE, as our law enforcement are simply fulfilling their sworn duties to serve and protect our communities,” the spokesperson said.
“Partnerships with law enforcement are critical to having the resources we need to arrest criminal illegal aliens across the country. Seven of the top 10 safest cities in the United States cooperate with ICE. When politicians bar local law enforcement from working with DHS, our law enforcement officers have a more visible presence so that we can find and apprehend the criminals let out of jails and back into communities.
The spokesperson pointed to some recent criminal illegal aliens captured by ICE in Houston – including Alexander Montano of Cuba, convicted of willful homicide, burglary and forced entry into a residence.
Vietnamese national Ding Nguyen, also convicted of homicide, along with Guatemalan national Julio Camey, convicted of sex offense against a child, were also mentioned by the spokesperson.
“You write a citation or you warn them and they go about their way. No contact with [ICE] over nonviolent, non-jailable offenses,” Whitmire told the AP.
A previous policy enacted in March by Whitmire and Police Chief Noe Diaz stipulated that if a background check revealed an immigration-related warrant, a sergeant would be called to the scene to oversee ICE involvement, according to Houston’s FOX affiliate.
The policy also said that if ICE could not make it to the scene of the stop within half an hour, the subject would be released.
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Houston Mayor John Whitmore speaks during a press conference on March 13, 2024, in Houston. (Elizabeth Conley/Houston Chronicle via Getty Images)
The Houston City Council subsequently approved an ordinance in April limiting how long officers could detain individuals while awaiting ICE agents, but Whitmire backed revisions after Abbott threatened to withhold more than $100 million in state funding and then-Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into the city’s immigration policies.
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The revised policy restored greater discretion for officers to contact ICE and wait for federal agents during encounters involving civil immigration warrants. Whitmire’s latest announcement would instead limit such notifications to encounters involving jailable offenses, marking a return to the restrictions city lawmakers initially sought.