Houston police will no longer alert federal immigration agents during routine traffic stops, three days after Democrats swept every statewide office in Texas.
asserted
Democrats → alert → Texas
Democratic Mayor John Whitmire signed an executive order Friday narrowing when officers may contact Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
uncertain
officers → sign → Immigration
Two conditions must now apply together.
asserted
conditions → apply → ?
The person has to be arrested on a jailable charge and has to carry an ICE administrative warrant, according to the Texas Tribune.
uncertain
person → have → Tribune
Officers will cite and release people in minor nonviolent cases.
asserted
Officers → cite → cases
Whitmire tied the switch to Tuesday’s results.
asserted
Whitmire → tie → results
“If they’re charged with a new crime, we’ll let ICE know as we get them to the jailhouse,” he said in an interview with The New York Times.
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he → charge → Times
“We just are not going to deal with the nonviolent contacts.”
asserted
We → go → contacts
(RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Trump ‘Will Never Allow For Mass Amnesty’ After Floating Working With Dems On Immigration)
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Trump → allow → Immigration
Senate Bill 4, a 2017 state law, bars police departments from limiting cooperation with federal immigration authorities, the Tribune reported.
asserted
Tribune → bar → authorities
Whitmire voted against that bill as a state lawmaker.
asserted
Whitmire → vote → lawmaker
Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa takes office in January.
asserted
Hinojosa → take → January
After Democrats swept statewide elections in Texas, Houston Mayor John Whitmire said Friday he has directed the Houston Police Department to change its policy on contact with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, saying the move is intended to reduce fear and anxiety in the community.🔗https://t.co/VGa4Oo0CnE
— Houston Chronicle (@HoustonChron) November 6, 2026
City Council scrapped a rule in April requiring officers to wait 30 minutes for ICE agents at traffic stops.
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officers → sweep → stops
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott threatened roughly $110 million in state public safety grants, arguing the measure violated SB 4.
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measure → threaten → SB
The council then rewrote the ordinance.
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council → rewrite → ordinance
“The governor was requiring us to contact ICE,” Whitmire told the Times.
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Whitmire → require → Times
“It created a lot of anxiety.”
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It → create → anxiety
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) answered within hours.
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Department → answer → hours
“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,” a spokesperson stated to KPRC 2.
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spokesperson → remain → KPRC
Houston police contacted ICE at least 107 times during the first eight months of 2025, the Houston Chronicle reported.
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Chronicle → contact → 2025
The department logged nine such contacts in all of 2024.
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department → log → 2024
A Harris County grand jury indicted ICE officer Mario Alberto Morales last month on a charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, according to CBS News.
uncertain
jury → indict → News
District Attorney Sean Teare said Morales ran over a man’s legs with a vehicle during an Oct. 10 pursuit.
asserted
Morales → say → pursuit
ICE called the indictment “nothing more than a political stunt by Houston sanctuary politicians,” according to the Tribune.
uncertain
ICE → call → Tribune
City Controller Chris Hollins called the order “a promising first step,” the Tribune reported.
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Tribune → call → order
“ICE killing a man in our city and running over another wasn’t enough to move the mayor.
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killing → kill → mayor
I’m glad an election was,” Hollins stated.
asserted
Hollins → ’m → ?
“I had a good relationship with Abbott and the lieutenant governor,” Whitmire told the Times.
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Whitmire → have → Times
“But I have even better relationships with the Democrats.”
asserted
I → have → Democrats
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