Houston amends ordinance limiting cooperation with ICE after governor threats

Dallas officials said they would respond to Abbott’s threat by Thursday, continuing the broader regional debate over immigration enforcement and funding.

Austin Mayor Kirk Watson said the local policy complies with state law, and officials indicated they could try to negotiate with Abbott.

Abbott has leveled similar threats against Dallas and Austin, which have parallel immigration enforcement policies. Combined, the three cities could lose about $200 million in public-safety funding, including World Cup security money.

Council member Abbie Kamin, who had pushed for the ordinance, voted against amending it, saying that yielding to state leaders would invite further bullying and set a bad precedent.

After more than two hours of discussion during its weekly meeting, Houston City Council voted 13-4 to amend the ordinance. The amended language deletes language highlighting that administrative warrants — versus warrants signed by a judge — are not enough for officers to arrest or detain someone. Whitmire said, 'We’ve got to have today the restoration of the $114 million.'

Governor Greg Abbott warned the new ordinance violated terms of $110 million in state grants Houston had received for police and security. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Mayor Whitmire and city council, accusing them of violating a 2017 state law.

Two weeks before the governor's threats, Houston City Council passed an ordinance that eliminated a requirement that police wait 30 minutes for ICE to pick up someone with a nonjudicial administrative warrant. If ICE did not arrive in time, officers would take detained person's information and release them.