The council on April 8 eliminated a requirement that officers wait 30 minutes for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to arrive when they encounter someone with a civil immigration warrant.
In response, Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to pull $114 million in public safety grants if the city did not revoke the policy. Whitmire, who had voted to approve the policy, then said it must be reversed, and called a special council meeting last Friday at which council was to vote on repealing the measure.
Whitmire then cancelled the Friday meeting, saying his team had spoken with Abbott’s office and secured a deadline extension while the camps negotiated an amendment to the policy.
“We’ll work this weekend and find acceptable language that protects Houston’s residents and our finances, and follow state law, so the governor will continue to send monies to Houston,” Whitmire told Houston Public Media on Friday.
Council members will now consider the issue at their regular meeting on Wednesday. The initial plan to repeal the measure would have taken 12 votes. Amending it would take 9 votes.
The language for that amendment has yet to be posted publicly.
Attorney General Ken Paxton also has sued Houston over its new ICE policy.