Houston Council Urged to Revisit ICE Policy
Democratic election wins prompt renewed calls to reconsider how Houston police cooperate with immigration enforcement.
Updated on Nov. 4, 2026 in Immigration
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Houston City Council members are being called to revisit the city's HPD-ICE cooperation policy after Democrats swept statewide races on Tuesday, including defeating Gov. Greg Abbott. Council Member Alejandra Salinas said she would revive her ICE-limiting ordinance in January or sooner.
Why it matters
Abbott threatened to revoke state funding over an earlier Houston ordinance and stopped it, so the policy's future now depends on a leadership change at the state level. Immigration advocates have also questioned whether Houston's ICE practices comply with the U.S. Constitution.
Abbott threatened to pull $114 million in grant funding from Houston over its ICE policy. Local police handed 17 people to immigration authorities from July through September, compared with 19 in the prior quarter.
The players
Greg Abbott
Texas governor who threatened to revoke state funding over Houston's ICE policy and is leaving office in January.
Gina Hinojosa
Governor-elect of Texas who defeated Abbott and has pledged to end cooperation with ICE across state and local law enforcement.
Alejandra Salinas
Houston City Council member who led an ordinance to curb city cooperation with ICE and plans to revive it.
John Whitmire
Mayor of Houston whose administration directed police to call ICE when encountering people with civil immigration warrants.
The details
Under Mayor John Whitmire's administration, police directed officers to call ICE and wait a reasonable amount of time when encountering someone with a civil immigration warrant. Controller Chris Hollins accused Whitmire of bowing to state Republicans over the policy, while Salinas's earlier ordinance passed and was reversed shortly after following Abbott's funding threat.
Timeline
August: A Honduran man sued the city alleging police held him more than two hours on a traffic stop without charging him with a crime.
July through September: Local police handed 17 people to immigration authorities.
Tuesday (Nov. 3, 2026): Democrats swept statewide victories, defeating Abbott.
January 2027: Abbott leaves office and Salinas may revive her ICE ordinance.
Political Context
Immigration advocates have questioned whether Houston's policy of having local officers detain people based solely on civil warrants violates the U.S. Constitution. The debate follows Abbott's earlier threats that prompted the repeal of Salinas's original ordinance.
Houston residents could see changes in how local police work with immigration agents depending on whether the council revives the ordinance. The city's current practice requires officers to call ICE and wait a reasonable time when encountering someone with a civil immigration warrant.
The takeaway
Local immigration enforcement policy can shift quickly when state leadership changes, making the coming months a key period for Houston residents to watch.
What happens next
Council Member Alejandra Salinas has said she will look to revive her ICE-limiting proposal in January, if not before then.
Further reading
Explore more on Houston immigration policy and how local enforcement decisions are shaping the debate.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Houston Chronicle.
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Should Houston limit police cooperation with federal immigration enforcement agents?
