Houston Mayor Directs Police to Limit Cooperation with Federal Immigration Officials

The mayor of Houston, Texas, has directed local police to limit their cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Mayor John Whitmire announced the policy change via an executive order, stating the move is intended to reduce fear and anxiety across the community and begin a healing process following recent political and social developments.

Under the updated directives outlined by Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz, officers will now only contact Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if someone arrested for a jailable offense also possesses an internal administrative ICE warrant. Previously, officers were mandated to notify federal agents whenever a person they searched had an ICE warrant attached to their name in the National Crime Information Center database.

This shift breaks sharply with the policies established by outgoing Republican Governor Greg Abbott. The policy adjustment follows months of intense public outcry in Houston sparked by controversial federal enforcement actions, including an incident where an ICE officer fatally shot a man driving to work who was not the intended target.

Mayor Whitmire also urged federal lawmakers to reform immigration rules, calling for better training, body cameras, and de-escalation protocols for ICE personnel. Meanwhile, representatives from the Department of Homeland Security expressed disappointment over the policy, arguing that limiting cooperation hinders law enforcement efforts to apprehend criminal suspects.

For more details, read the original report on Nile Post.