The Houston City Council voted 13-4 on Wednesday to reverse a sanctuary-style policy that limited cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, after Republican Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to strip more than $110 million in state funding from the city.
The Democratic-majority council had passed the original policy earlier this month, eliminating a requirement that police wait at least 30 minutes for ICE to arrive when a suspect has an immigration warrant. Under pressure from Abbott, who set a Wednesday deadline for the city to repeal the policy or refund the state funding, Mayor John Whitmire urged council members to amend the measure.
The amended policy removes strict limits that barred officers from prolonging stops for ICE-related purposes and allows officers to extend detentions if they cite another legitimate law enforcement reason. The vote followed hours of tense debate.
What the Left Is Saying
Council Member Abbie Kamin, a Democrat, opposed amending the policy and accused Abbott and Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton of trying to 'bully' the city. 'This is not the first time that Abbott and Paxton have tried to bully the city,' Kamin said during the Wednesday session.
Mayor Whitmire framed the situation as a 'crisis' for the city that would affect police and fire departments, impacting public safety services and preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. He acknowledged that funding streams come with conditions, saying he does not always agree with them but recognized the financial reality facing Houston.
Whitmire urged council members to vote in favor of amending the policy, framing it as a question of whether Houston would 'remain strong.' He emphasized that the city needed to maintain its state funding to continue providing public safety services.
What the Right Is Saying
Abbott had condemned the original council vote, accusing members of 'trying to renege on their obligations' after signing onto a public safety agreement to receive state funding that required cooperation with immigration enforcement through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.
'If the city council were serious about public safety, they would not allow illegal immigrants to roam their streets and kill people like Jocelyn Nungaray,' Abbott said last week, referencing a high-profile case. He added that 'there are other people like that in Houston who have been raped, assaulted and victimized by people who are here illegally and allowed to roam the streets.'
A spokesperson for Abbott called the vote a 'step in the right direction' but said the city must 'fully comply with state law and cooperate with federal immigration authorities to keep dangerous criminals off our streets.' The governor's office stated he 'expects any policy HPD ultimately adopts to comply with the City's certification that it would fully cooperate with DHS.'
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who is challenging incumbent Republican Sen. John Cornyn in a U.S. Senate bid, launched a lawsuit against the city over the original policy earlier this month.
What the Numbers Show
The vote to amend the policy passed 13-4 on Wednesday. The original policy had eliminated a requirement that police wait at least 30 minutes for ICE to arrive when a suspect has an immigration warrant.
Abbott set a deadline of Wednesday for the city to repeal its new policy or refund more than $110 million in state funding.
On the same day as the vote, ICE Houston announced it had arrested 277 illegal immigrants between April 6-17. The group included 17 child predators, six murderers, 16 drug traffickers and 15 gang members or associates. The 277 individuals had been convicted of 751 criminal offenses collectively and had illegally entered the U.S. 654 times.
Other offenses included 16 convictions for fraud- or forgery-related offenses, 11 for hit-and-run and 74 convictions for assault-related offenses.
The Bottom Line
The reversal marks the latest clash in an ongoing battle between Texas state leaders and local officials over immigration enforcement. Abbott has used financial pressure as a tool to compel compliance with state law, and Houston became the latest city to adjust policy under threat of funding loss.
The governor's office indicated it will continue using 'every necessary tool to protect Texans,' suggesting similar pressure tactics may be employed against other municipalities. The city council's decision ensures Houston maintains its state funding but leaves questions about the balance between local autonomy and state-mandated cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
What to watch: Whether other Texas cities face similar pressure, and how the courts rule on Paxton's lawsuit against Houston's original policy. The amended policy must now be implemented by the Houston Police Department in a manner that satisfies both state requirements and the city's certification of cooperation with DHS.