Houston will limit ICE cooperation in response to Democrats taking power
in Texas, mayor says
[November 07, 2026]
By LEKAN OYEKANMI, ANNA WILDER and VALERIE GONAZLEZ
HOUSTON (AP) — Houston’s mayor on Friday directed police to limit
cooperation with federal immigration authorities, signing an order that
he called a result of Democrats reclaiming power in Texas for the first
time in decades.
The shift in the nation’s fourth-largest city is one of the first
actions to restrict U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations
in response to Democrats’ rout in Tuesday’s midterm elections. It is
also a sign the results are already having an impact in Texas, where
Republican leaders have enthusiastically embraced President Donald
Trump’s mass deportation agenda.
The stunning victories included Democrat Gina Hinojosa ousting
Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, which will make her Texas’ first Latina
governor and the first member of her party to hold the office in more
than 30 years. Abbott, a Trump ally, has threatened Texas cities over
attempts to curtail immigration enforcement.
“I’ve said many times, elections matter,” Mayor John Whitmire said.
ICE would only be contacted for jailable offenses
Whitmire, a Democrat, said the city would go after immigrants “that pose
a danger, not those that are going about their family business, work and
education.” In the case of a traffic incident, “you write a citation or
you warn them and they go about their way,” he said.
Under the mayor's directive, Houston police should contact ICE only if
the person it stops is arrested on a charge that is subject to jailing
or if ICE issues an administrative warrant, meaning that the person is
wanted by immigration officials.
Houston has been a recurring scene of protests to Trump's immigration
crackdown in the wake of one ICE officer fatally shooting a Mexican
homebuilder and another striking a man with a car. Last week, a grand
jury in Houston indicted the ICE officer who was inside the vehicle on
charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
ICE has denied that the officer intentionally struck Miguel Parra
Hernandez, whose leg was broken, and criticized Whitmire over making the
policy change.
“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 agency said in a
statement.
Texas has closely aligned with Trump on immigration
Despite a one-time $75 billion infusion from Congress, ICE remains
heavily dependent on local police to find people subject to deportation
and turn them over. It has done so partly by signing about 2,600
agreements — many in Texas — to deputize local police and other state
and local agencies to enforce immigration laws. Texas has been a primary
target for ICE arrests.
Abbott has closely aligned the state with the Trump administration to
collaborate on enforcing federal immigration laws. In April, he had
threatened to take away nearly $200 million in public safety grants from
Austin, Dallas and Houston after city officials in Houston tried to
limit police officers’ cooperation with ICE.
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A woman holds a sign reading "ICE OUT OF HOUSTON" during a vigil for
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national fatally shot by a federal
immigration agent a day prior, Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in Houston.
(AP Photo/Mark Felix, file)
At the time, Hinojosa called Abbott’s threat to withhold funds from
cities “shameful.” She and Democratic Sen.-elect James Talarico took
a moderate approach to immigration during their breakout campaigns,
standing for robust border security but frequently criticizing
Trump’s crackdown, particularly over ICE officer shootings in Texas.
Spokespersons for Hinojosa and Talarico did not immediately respond
to requests for comment Friday.
Though Trump’s promise to arrest and deport immigrants living in the
country illegally was popular during his campaign, Americans now
disapprove of his approach to immigration enforcement.
In Texas, more than half of voters in the state’s Senate race said
the Trump administration’s actions on immigration enforcement had
“gone too far,” according to The AP Voter Poll, a survey of more
than 5,000 voters in Texas. About 2 in 10 voters said it had “not
gone far enough,” and a similar share said it’s “been about right.”
That was roughly in line with what voters said nationally.
Advocate calls the change a ‘sigh of relief’ for immigrant
communities
The change was celebrated by immigrants' rights activists in Houston
who have been critical of Whitmire. Collaboration between local
police and federal agents has made people afraid of getting stopped
for a traffic ticket or calling for help, said Cesar Espinosa,
executive director at FIEL, an immigrant rights group in Houston.
“It means that the mom taking her kid to school is not going to have
a panic attack every time she sees HPD,” Espinosa said.
Ruby Powers, a Houston immigration attorney, said trust won't be
restored right away.
“It will probably take some time for the Houston immigrant community
to truly feel a little bit safer than they did before this executive
order took place,” Powers said.
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Wilder reported from Austin, Texas, and Gonzalez reported from
McAllen, Texas. Associated Press reporters Elliot Spagat in San
Diego, Jesse Bedayn in Austin and Linley Sanders in Washington
contributed to this report.
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