HOUSTON – Houston Mayor John Whitmire and Police Chief J. Noe Diaz are expected to address recent immigration-related concerns during a press conference scheduled for 2 p.m. Wednesday.
Reporter Re’Chelle Turner reached out to the mayor’s office for more information about the press conference, but officials have not yet clarified exactly what prompted the announcement.
However, several Houston City Council members have recently raised concerns about reports that Houston police officers have contacted U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) during routine traffic stops or encounters.
In recent days, multiple council members have shared statements publicly on social media expressing concern about the reports.
District J Council Member Edward Pollard posted on Instagram and said the reports raise concerns about public trust between residents and law enforcement.
“Recent reports that Houston Police officers have been contacting ICE during routine traffic stops where no criminal warrant exists should concern everyone who cares about trust between law enforcement and the communities they serve,” Pollard wrote in a public statement.
Pollard also called for more transparency from city leadership and asked that the Houston Police Chief address the issue publicly before City Council.
“When policies may have been violated and people’s lives could be impacted, Houstonians deserve more than a statement of disappointment. They deserve clear answers, accountability, and leadership,” Pollard wrote.
He also warned that when local police interactions potentially lead to immigration enforcement, it can discourage people from reporting crimes or cooperating with investigations.
District I Council Member Joaquin Martinez also expressed concern about how immigration enforcement could affect relationships between police and immigrant communities.
“I’m disappointed by the recent findings regarding coordination between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities,” Martinez said.
Martinez said increased ICE activity has already strained relationships between police and immigrant communities.
“Actions that blur the line between local policing and federal immigration enforcement only make that trust harder to restore. HPD must remain focused on local public safety.”
He also emphasized that residents should feel comfortable reporting crimes regardless of immigration status.
“Every Houstonian should feel safe reporting crime, seeking help, and engaging with local government — regardless of immigration status.”
At-Large Council Member Alejandra Salinas echoed similar concerns, saying families should not fear immigration consequences during routine interactions with police.
“These reports demand action to ensure Houston is not requiring cooperation with ICE beyond state law,” Salinas said.
“Families should not live in fear that a broken taillight or call for help could lead to a loved one being taken away by ICE. Our officers should be focused on serious crime — not serving as an accessory to federal immigration enforcement.”
What is HPD’s current policy?
Under the Houston Police Department’s current general order, officers must contact ICE when a warrant appears during a background check.
When officers run a person’s name through the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) or the Texas Crime Information Center (TCIC) databases, they are required to contact the agency associated with any warrant that appears.
That includes immigration authorities.
The policy states officers “shall contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)” if a database search returns a possible immigration warrant or hold.
In practice, that means officers notify ICE in the same way they would notify any other agency if a warrant appears.
What this means for Houstonians
City leaders say the issue is not about routine immigration enforcement by Houston police, but rather how officers respond when a federal warrant appears in a database search.
Supporters of the current policy say officers must notify the agency that issued a warrant — whether it’s a county, state, or federal agency.
Critics worry the policy could create fear in immigrant communities, especially if residents believe routine traffic stops or calls for help could lead to immigration enforcement.
Those concerns have become part of a broader debate about how local law enforcement should interact with federal immigration authorities.
Proposed policy change
Her proposal would change the language from “shall contact ICE” to “may contact ICE.”
Plummer says the change would allow officers to decide whether contacting immigration authorities is necessary in cases involving minor violations.
“The officer would have the discretion to say we don’t need to report this to ICE because it’s a low violation,” Plummer said.
She says the goal is to protect community trust while remaining compliant with state law.
“We’re not preventing HPD from doing their job. We want to keep Houston safe in every way possible.”
Police union strongly opposes the change
The Houston Police Officers’ Union argues the proposed change would be illegal and unnecessary.
Union President Doug Griffith says officers are required to notify any agency that has issued a warrant.
“If you have an open warrant, you have to contact the agency… no matter if it’s Harris County, Fort Bend County, Austin County or ICE,” Griffith said.
He also says the number of immigration-related detentions tied to HPD encounters is extremely small.
According to Griffith, only eight people this year were taken into custody by ICE after HPD contacted the agency about a warrant.
Most cases, he says, result in the agency declining custody and officers documenting the encounter.
“Everybody else has been document and release. That’s what we’ve done.”
Meanwhile, city leaders are expected to address the issue during the mayor’s 2 p.m. press conference.
Houstonians’ views on immigration are shifting
A recent study by the Kinder Institute for Urban Research shows 1 in 7 people in the Houston area know someone who was detained and possibly deported. In some local neighborhoods, the number is 1 in 4. That number also holds for Hispanics in Houston when you break out the data by race. The study was done last October and November, with responses from more than 9,000 residents.
Other key takeaways:
More than 1 in 5 Houston residents born outside the U.S. knew someone detained and potentially deported in 2025, compared to 1 in 8 U.S.-born residents.
About 1 in 4 Houstonians earning less than $35,000 per year know someone who was detained and potentially deported in 2025, compared to 1 in 10 residents earning $100,000 or more.
In 10 of 53 neighborhood areas, more than 1in 5 residents know someone detained and potentially deported in the past 6 months.
Researchers also compared local attitudes in that survey to another early in the year — January and February of 2025. In both surveys, 8 out of 10 Houstonians said the immigration system is not working.
Breaking News Alerts
More Stories Like This In Our Email Newsletter
Copyright 2026 by KPRC Click2Houston – All rights reserved.