Gov. Abbott was in Houston and had strong words for city officials over the ordinance that was recently passed.<\/p>\n
CROSBY, Texas \u2014 Houston city leaders have a few more days to figure out the future of a controversial new immigration ordinance<\/a> that could cost them $110 million in public safety funding. That’s because Governor Abbott\u2019s funding freeze deadline for the city was extended to the middle of next week.<\/p>\n The ordinance, which passed with a 12-5 vote last week, ended a\u00a0Houston police policy that told officers to wait at least 30 minutes for ICE<\/a> to pick someone up if they had an immigration warrant. \u00a0<\/p>\n Governor Abbott was in Crosby on Thursday for a news conference on a different topic. KHOU 11\u2019s Orko Manna was there and was the only reporter to ask Abbott about the funding fight. Abbott said the city broke its end of a deal, so now, it needs to pay.<\/p>\n \u201cIf the city council was serious about public safety, they would not allow illegal immigrants to roam their streets,\u201d Abbott said.<\/p>\n The governor didn\u2019t mince words about ordinance. He said the measure violates an agreement the city made to work with ICE in order to get public safety grants from the state.<\/p>\n \u201cHouston is now trying to renege on their obligations,\u201d Abbott said. \u201cThe contract clearly said the failure to comply will require Houston to return all of the money that it got from the state of Texas, which amounts to approximately $110 million.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cHow do you justify pulling $110 million in public safety funding from Houston if the goal with immigration enforcement is to improve safety? Doesn\u2019t that contradict itself?\u201d Manna asked the governor.<\/p>\n \u201cThe requirement to return the money does not mean defunding the police,\u201d Abbott said.<\/p>\n Critics of the ordinance say it limits necessary cooperation between HPD and ICE, but supporters, including FIEL executive director Cesar Espinosa, disagree.<\/p>\n RELATED: Mayor Whitmire postpones Friday’s special council meeting on immigration ordinance<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s not a hindering of law enforcement to contact ICE,\u201d he said. \u00a0\u201cNowhere in the law, the city ordinance that passed in Houston, nowhere is ti being explained that they\u2019re going to prohibit police-ICE collaboration.\u201d<\/p>\n Now we\u2019re learning Houston may not be alone. In a statement, we\u2019re told, \u201cthe governor\u2019s public safety office is looking into allegations that other cities may be in violation of their contracts with the state.\u201d<\/p>\n Governor Abbott told me that for Houston, city leaders have just a few days to repeal the ordinance or face the consequences.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s your message to those councilmembers who say they are not changing their stance?\u201d we asked.<\/p>\n \u201cFailing to do so will lead to extraordinarily difficult financial choices that are purposefully made by the city council of Houston,\u201d Abbott said.<\/p>\n The mayor and city council were supposed to meet Friday to look at possibly repealing the ordinance. That meeting has been pushed to Wednesday, the same day the governor says is the new funding cut deadline.<\/p>\n
Late Thursday afternoon, we also learned Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit<\/a> against the City of Houston, Mayor Whitmire, councilmembers, and HPD Chief Noe Diaz over the ordinance. Paxton argues the ordinance violates Senate Bill 4<\/a>, a law passed to prohibit \u201csanctuary cities\u201d during the 2017 legislative session. Under SB 4, local entities like Houston are prohibited from adopting, enforcing or endorsing policies that limit the enforcement of federal immigration laws.<\/p>\n The attorney general\u2019s office claims Houston\u2019s recently passed ordinance \u201cblatantly violates\u201d that law. Specifically, the measure prevents Houston police officers from stopping, arresting or continuing to detain someone based solely on an ICE administrative warrant while working in the field. Paxton contends that restriction would materially limit the enforcement of federal immigration laws.<\/p>\n
\nPaxton sues Houston, city officials <\/p>\n