Houston limits police contact with ICE after Texas election shift
Why it matters: The order narrows when officers can involve immigration agents, potentially curbing local support for deportations in Texas' biggest city.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire signed an order Friday directing city police to limit cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a move he tied to Democrats' election gains in Texas. Under the directive, officers should contact ICE only when a person is arrested on a jailable charge or when ICE issues an administrative warrant. The order says suspected immigration status alone cannot justify contacting ICE, extending a detention or taking someone into custody. The change follows protests over recent ICE actions in Houston, including the fatal shooting of a Mexican homebuilder and the indictment of ICE officer Mario Alberto Morales on an aggravated assault charge tied to Miguel Parra Hernandez's broken leg.