Julianna Washburn/Houston Public Media
A protestor holds a sign that states “hold ICE liable” at a demonstration along Seawall Boulevard on Feb. 1, 2026.
Harris County commissioners are set to discuss county-level guidelines on immigration enforcement Thursday, after a controversial policy was passed by Houston City Council to curtail ICE coordination.
Commissioner Rodney Ellis placed the discussion item on the agenda this week in response to the city council’s recent ordinance to cut back on ICE interactions — which drew a threat by Texas Governor Greg Abbott to claw back $110 million in public safety grants for the city.
In a statement, Ellis called the upcoming discussion one part of a broader public safety conversation. He said he’s bringing the motion to discuss policies related to traffic stops because those interactions “have been a common entry point for ICE-related abuses.”
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“Immigrant communities are inseparable from the story of Harris County,” he said. “The job of any elected official — whether you’re in county, city, state, or federal office — is to ask what we can do, within the law, to keep the people we serve safe,” Ellis said.
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The commissioner plans to direct the office of county administration and the county attorney’s office to come back with policy proposals on county immigration enforcement practices in June, a spokesperson said.
The Houston City Council’s new directive halts a previous policy requiring Houston Police Department officers to give ICE agents 30 minutes to respond to traffic stops and serve out administrative immigration warrants.
The Houston Police Department is required to report to the Houston City Council, which appoints police chiefs and sets operational guidelines for the law enforcement agency.
The Harris County Sheriff’s Office, however, operates under an elected sheriff and as an independent entity from commissioners court. The court only oversees the office’s funding — and the budgets of the county’s eight elected constables’ offices.
The sheriff’s office coordinates with federal immigration officers through mandated detainers in the Harris County Jail. Last year, the state passed legislation giving jail staff authority to issue immigration detainers, known as 287(g) agreements.
Harris County Commissioners passed a resolution in February reaffirming their stance on ICE operations by calling on the federal government to enact comprehensive immigration enforcement reforms. They cited figures this year that the county leads the country in immigration holds at the Harris County Jail.
The resolution — which passed 3-1 with Commissioner Tom Ramsey dissenting and County Judge Lina Hidalgo absent — directed local law enforcement agencies to stick to clear and consistent processes while detaining and relocating individuals regardless of their immigration status.
According to county data, 895 people were held on ICE detainers inside the Harris County Jail on Monday. A state immigration detainer report shows that immigration holds in the county jail recently came at a cost of $3.3 million.
Ramsey, who couldn’t be reached for comment Tuesday, said in a post to X that the upcoming conversation is necessary. Hidalgo did not return an email seeking comment.
In a statement to Houston Public Media, Commissioner Lesley Briones said she has not received a specific proposal from any court office on the discussion, but welcomes all ideas to keep the county safe.
“Like most Americans, I am outraged by federal overreach that is sowing fear and chaos in communities across the country,” Briones said. “Let me be clear — constitutional protections are sacred. We can both be a nation of laws and a nation that respects the humanity and rights of every person. Here in Harris County, we will stand firmly for the rule of law and the fundamental rights and safety of all our residents.”
Commissioner Adrian Garcia said that commissioners court doesn’t have the power to set policy for law enforcement agencies run by independently elected officials, and that he’s urging elected law enforcement leaders to implement smart policies to keep communities safe.
“The chaotic implementation of immigration policy is impacting businesses and families alike,” Garcia told Houston Public Media. “Most concerning is that law enforcement is less likely to get information about violent and dangerous individuals for concern that a reporting witness may become more of a focus than the dangerous individual.”