The November 6 order restricts ICE notifications during routine stops based solely on suspected immigration violations. Officers may still cooperate with federal agents in certain arrest and warrant cases.
By Hola America News
November 6, 2026.
HOUSTON, Texas — Mayor John Whitmire signed an executive order Friday, November 6, limiting when Houston police officers contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The policy reversal came three days after Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott in Texas’s gubernatorial election.
Whitmire linked his decision directly to the election results in an interview with The New York Times. Earlier in 2026, Abbott’s administration had pressured Houston to maintain cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Houston police will limit ICE notifications during routine stops
Under the new directive, suspected immigration violations alone are insufficient grounds for officers to contact ICE, prolong a detention or hold someone in custody.
Whitmire said officers handling nonviolent offenses that do not require jail time can issue a citation or warning and allow the person to leave without automatically notifying immigration agents.
The restrictions do not eliminate all police cooperation with ICE. Contact remains possible when someone is arrested on charges that carry jail time or under certain warrant-related circumstances, according to The Associated Press.
The municipal order applies to the Houston Police Department. It does not prevent federal immigration agents from conducting their own enforcement operations or change police procedures in other states, including Iowa and Illinois.
Abbott previously threatened $114 million in public safety funding
The policy reversal follows months of disagreements between Houston officials and Abbott’s administration over the city’s immigration enforcement practices.
In April, Houston City Council approved restrictions on certain police interactions involving administrative immigration warrants. Abbott’s administration threatened to withhold $114 million in state public safety grants, prompting the city to amend its ordinance.
The April 23 police directive required officers to contact ICE’s Law Enforcement Support Center when a civil immigration warrant appeared in the National Crime Information Center database. A supervising sergeant also had to respond, and officers could wait a reasonable amount of time for immigration agents.
The amended ordinance restored the city’s access to the threatened funding while preserving requirements for public reporting on police interactions with immigration authorities.
Houston police transferred 17 people to ICE from July through September
Between July 1 and September 30, the Houston Police Department conducted 292,975 checks of individuals through the National Crime Information Center database.
Of those checks, 88 resulted in immigration-related database matches or contacts with ICE, according to the department’s quarterly immigration report released October 28.
- 58 people were released at the scene.
- 17 people were transferred to ICE custody.
- 13 people were taken to jail on separate charges unrelated to immigration.
The report also recorded an average detention time of 46 minutes for the encounters covered by its statistics.
Immigrant rights advocates had criticized Houston’s previous practices, raising concerns about prolonged detentions and the potential effect of police cooperation with ICE on public trust.
Cesar Espinosa, executive director of the immigrant rights organization FIEL Houston, welcomed Whitmire’s decision while calling for the city to follow through on its new policy, according to The Associated Press.
Texas election results bring an immediate change to Houston
Hinojosa’s November 3 victory made her the first Latina elected governor of Texas and the first Democrat to win the office in more than 30 years.
Whitmire’s order is among the first local immigration policy changes announced following the Democratic victories in Texas.
Abbott remains governor during the transition to Hinojosa’s administration, scheduled to begin in January 2027. Houston’s new directive addresses city police procedures, while federal immigration enforcement continues under existing federal authority.
Related: 2026 Election Results: Six Historic Firsts Across the U.S.
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