Houston limits police cooperation with ICE after Texas Democrats win statewide

Overview

Updated 1 hour ago

Houston police will no longer call federal immigration agents when they stop someone for a minor traffic violation or find an administrative immigration warrant. Mayor John Whitmire signed the change Friday, reversing a policy he adopted in April under pressure from then-Gov. Greg Abbott.

The order lands days after Democrats won Texas's statewide offices, including the governorship. It tests how far a big-city mayor can go in limiting cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under a 2017 state law that requires local police to assist federal immigration authorities.

Why it matters

Houston is Texas's largest city, and its police contacted ICE 107 times in eight months of 2025. Other cities are watching.

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Key Indicators

107

Houston police contacts with ICE, Jan–Aug 2025

Up from nine contacts in all of 2024, according to the Houston Chronicle.

Houston police contacts with ICE in 2024

The full-year total before cooperation rose sharply.

$110M

State public safety grants Abbott threatened to withhold

The funding lever that shaped Houston's April 2026 policy.

Voices

Curated perspectives — historical figures and your fellow readers.

People Involved

John Whitmire

Mayor of Houston

Signed the Nov. 6 executive order

Gina Hinojosa

Texas governor-elect

Won the Nov. 3, 2026 election

Greg Abbott

Outgoing Texas governor

Lost reelection in November 2026

Ken Paxton

Texas attorney general

Sued Houston over its earlier ICE limits

J. Noe Diaz

Houston police chief

Implementing the new order

Douglas Griffith

President, Houston Police Officers' Union

Criticized the order's timing

Cesar Espinosa

Executive director, FIEL Houston

Welcomed the order

Chris Hollins

Houston city controller

Criticized the mayor for acting only after the election

Kirk Watson

Mayor of Austin

Asked city officials to revise Austin's ICE policy

Lorenzo Salgado Araujo

Houston resident killed by an ICE agent

Died in July 2026

Organizations Involved

Houston Police Department

Police department

Implementing the new order

Houston's municipal police force, which the Nov. 6 order directs to limit contacts with federal immigration agents.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

Federal law enforcement agency

Subject of the policy change

The federal agency that enforces immigration law, and the counterpart Houston police are now told to call less often.

Houston Police Officers' Union

Labor union

Criticized the order

The union representing Houston police officers, which criticized the timing of the order.

FIEL Houston

Immigrant rights group

Welcomed the order

A Houston immigrant rights group that pushed for limits on police cooperation with ICE.

Office of the Texas Governor

State executive office

Changing hands after the 2026 election

The office that set state pressure on cities through funding and legislation.

Office of the Texas Attorney General

State legal office

Previously sued Houston over ICE limits

The state's top lawyer, who sued Houston over its earlier limits on ICE cooperation.

Houston City Council

Municipal legislature

Passed the ordinance at the center of the earlier legal fight

The city's legislative body, which passed the ordinance at the center of the earlier legal fight.

Timeline

May 2017 November 2026

9 events Latest: Yesterday

Tap a bar to jump to that date

November 2026
Whitmire signs order limiting ICE cooperation
Latest Policy

Houston police will contact ICE only when arresting someone on a jailable offense.
Yesterday
Austin mayor seeks review of ICE warrant policy
Policy

Kirk Watson asks Austin officials to revise the city's policy on ICE warrants.
Yesterday
Democrats sweep Texas statewide offices
Election

Gina Hinojosa defeats Gov. Greg Abbott; Democrats win other statewide posts.
4 days ago
October 2026
Grand jury indicts ICE officer Mario Alberto Morales
Legal

A Harris County grand jury indicts the officer on an aggravated assault charge over a vehicle injury.
October 2026
July 2026
ICE agent kills Houston resident Lorenzo Salgado Araujo
Incident

An ICE agent shoots dead a longtime Houston resident, intensifying scrutiny of local cooperation.
July 2026
April 2026
Whitmire adopts hold-for-ICE policy under state pressure
Policy

Facing Abbott's funding threat, Houston police are told to hold people for federal agents.
April 2026
2025
Houston ICE contacts climb to 107 in eight months
Data

The Houston Chronicle counted at least 107 contacts in the first eight months of 2025.
2025
2024
Houston police contact ICE nine times in 2024
Data

The full-year total before cooperation rose sharply.
2024
May 2017
Texas enacts Senate Bill 4
Legal

The law bars local governments from restricting cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
May 2017

Scenarios

Texas sues Houston over the ICE order

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton's earlier suit against Houston; local coverage

Paxton or another state official argues the order violates Senate Bill 4, which bars local limits on immigration cooperation. A suit would seek an injunction and could force Houston back to its April policy while the case proceeds.

Austin adopts its own limits on ICE cooperation

Possible Resolves by Q2 2027

Discussed by: Austin Mayor Kirk Watson's request to city officials

Watson asked Austin officials to revise the city's policy on ICE warrants the same day Whitmire signed Houston's order. A council vote would make Austin the second major Texas city to narrow cooperation.

Texas Legislature overrides city limits on ICE cooperation

Uncertain Resolves by Sep 1, 2027

Discussed by: Police union president Douglas Griffith, who said the city should have waited for the Legislature

The Texas Legislature meets in January 2027. Lawmakers could pass a bill tightening Senate Bill 4 to bar cities from limiting ICE contacts, which the governor would need to sign.

Historical Context

2 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

May 2017

Senate Bill 4 (2017)

Texas enacted Senate Bill 4, which bars local governments from restricting cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The law gave state officials a tool to sue cities and withhold funding.

Then

Cities had to weigh local policing choices against state funding and legal risk.

Now

SB 4 remains the legal backdrop for Whitmire's order; its limits on city policy are the central question.

Why this matters now

Whitmire's order tests how much a city can limit ICE contacts without breaching SB 4.

April 2026

Houston's April 2026 reversal

Facing Abbott's threat to withhold about $110 million in public safety grants, Whitmire required Houston police to hold people for ICE and wait a reasonable amount of time for federal agents.

Then

The policy drew criticism from immigrant rights groups and city officials who wanted limits on ICE cooperation.

Now

Seven months later, after the election, Whitmire reversed it, saying the political conditions had changed.

Why this matters now

The reversal shows how quickly an election can change local enforcement policy.