Houston Mayor John Whitmire issued an executive order directing local police to stop contacting ICE during routine traffic stops unless a suspect is arrested for a jailable offense. The executive order follows a landmark Democratic midterm sweep in Texas, where Gina Hinojosa defeated Governor Greg Abbott and James Talarico unseated Senator Ken Paxton. Whitmire cited community anxiety stemming from recent fatal ICE enforcement actions in Houston, while federal officials criticized the restrictions on immigration cooperation.
Houston limits police ICE cooperation
- ▪Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz stated that officers will cite and release individuals pulled over for minor traffic infractions without contacting ICE, even if an administrative warrant exists
- ▪Houston Mayor John Whitmire signed an executive order, directing Houston police to limit cooperation with ICE
- ▪Under the executive order signed by Houston Mayor John Whitmire on Friday, Houston police officers will contact ICE only when arresting someone on a jailable offense who also has an administrative ICE warrant
Houston controller stance
- ▪Houston City Controller Chris Hollins stated that Mayor Whitmire's order was a promising first step but criticized Whitmire for delaying the decision until after the midterm elections
- ▪Houston City Controller Chris Hollins previously joined several city officials in calling on the Houston Police Department to stop cooperating with ICE
Democratic victories in 2026 elections
- ▪Democrat James Talarico defeated incumbent Republican Ken Paxton by 12 points in the November 2026 election for the U.S. Senate seat representing Texas
- ▪Democrats won control of the Texas House of Representatives while remaining in the minority in the Texas State Senate following the November 2026 elections
- ▪Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated incumbent Republican Greg Abbott in the November 2026 Texas gubernatorial election, making her the state's first Latina governor and first Democratic governor since 1995
- ▪Democrats won majorities in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate during the November 2026 midterm elections
Past conflicts over Houston immigration policy
- ▪Following state pressure and SB 4 legal scrutiny, Houston City Council revised its policy to instruct officers to contact ICE for administrative warrants and wait a reasonable time
- ▪In April 2026, Texas Governor Greg Abbott threatened to withhold approximately $110 million in state public safety grants after Houston City Council adopted an ordinance limiting police delays for ICE
- ▪Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation into Houston's April 2026 ordinance, alleging it violated Texas Senate Bill 4 which prohibits limiting local police cooperation with federal immigration authorities
Lorenzo Salgado Araujo shooting
- ▪An ICE agent fatally shot 52-year-old Mexican national Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Houston on July 7, 2026, sparking large protests in Houston
- ▪Demonstrators marched to protest the fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an immigration officer
Houston ICE investigations
- ▪Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare announced that a grand jury indicted ICE agent Mario Alberto Morales on an aggravated assault with a deadly weapon charge for striking a Mexican man with a vehicle
- ▪Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare launched an investigation into the July 7, 2026, fatal shooting of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo by an immigration agent
Houston ICE notification incidents
- ▪Houston police contacted ICE at least 107 times in the first eight months of 2025 under National Crime Information Center database warrant guidance, compared to nine times in all of 2024
- ▪A Houston police officer contacted ICE after discovering a domestic violence victim had an administrative warrant, though no federal agents responded to the scene
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