Whitmire last week repeated what he\u2019s been saying for months: The officers of the Houston Police Department are not actively trying to deport people and they don\u2019t inquire about immigration status, but when they identify an active warrant, they notify the agency that issued it, as required by law.\u00a0<\/p>\n
The procedures that were put in place during the Biden presidential administration and have been carried out by previous Houston mayors and the Harris County Sheriff\u2019s Department, said Whitmire, who was elected in December 2023.\u00a0<\/p>\n
\u201cWe have no greater responsibility as elected officials than to comfort our community, all communities,\u201d he said in a November 12 city council meeting<\/a>. \u201cI ran to unite Houstonians, and we\u2019ve been successful. I\u2019m alarmed this morning over the rhetoric in the last 48 hours by, quite frankly, some individuals that I thought I knew better. I would urge us to get back to the facts and quit alarming people unnecessarily and quit politicizing an emotional issue.\u201d<\/p>\n Whitmire\u2019s original comment<\/a> \u2014 \u201cI\u2019m not going to say that we\u2019re not cooperating with ICE because that\u2019s frankly not true\u201d \u2014 prompted a firestorm of backlash from the men and women who set policy with the mayor twice a week and don\u2019t want their constituents to feel unsafe in Houston.\u00a0<\/p>\n Councilman Mario Castillo, who represents Near Northside and portions of downtown and Houston Heights, issued a statement saying he would pause his district\u2019s allocations for HPD overtime requests until he has assurance that those dollars aren\u2019t supporting HPD and ICE coordination. Castillo\u2019s grandfather was an immigrant, according to the council member\u2019s bio<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n Castillo told the Houston Press on Sunday that he asked for transparency, and he got the information he needed when the president of the Houston Police Officers Union explained local law enforcement procedures during last week\u2019s council meeting.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cThat reassurance was really important to me,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s why I said what I said. Transparency, clarity and public trust need to be maintained if we\u2019re going to have public safety.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Castillo walked back, at least for now, the threat to withhold overtime pay but acknowledged that Houstonians are anxious and confused by headlines declaring that the mayor says he\u2019s working with ICE.<\/p>\n \u201cIt raised a lot of questions,\u201d he said. \u201cIt brought the anxiety up. To me, it was something that jeopardized the public\u2019s trust with law enforcement, and that\u2019s concerning, because we know how vital it is to have public trust with our local law enforcement, which is why I asked for more transparency and clarity around what that meant.\u201d<\/p>\n Asking for clarity isn\u2019t politicizing the issue, Castillo said. It was simply an effort to reassure fearful residents that they can call the police department when they\u2019re in need.\u00a0<\/p>\n During the public comments portion of the November 12 meeting, resident Adriana Tellez said the Mexican community is hurting. Being undocumented is a civil, not criminal offense, Tellez said, and Houston depends on immigrants for its labor force.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cYou have told people that ICE operations in Houston only target people with criminal records, and that is not true,\u201d Tellez said to the mayor. \u201cWe have seen mothers and fathers with no warrants, with no criminal records, dragged out of their cars in front of their children. We have witnessed bounty hunters posing as federal agents storming our neighborhoods and arresting citizens and undocumented residents.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Such action is deplorable, many elected officials agreed, but they said it\u2019s not initiated by HPD.\u00a0<\/p>\n Doug Griffith, president of the Houston Police Officers Union, said that when an officer intends to arrest someone after a traffic stop or service call, they run a background check through the National Crime Information Center database, a procedure required by law.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf they are wanted by any agency, no matter who it is, then we have to contact that agency and see if they want them,\u201d Griffith said. \u201cThat goes for ICE or the FBI.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cDo we drive around looking for people to see if they have an ICE detainer? No,\u201d he added. \u201cWe don\u2019t have the manpower for that. We are still 1,500 officers down. That is not our job. We\u2019re not working with ICE. We don\u2019t care about ICE. They have their own job function, whether you agree or disagree.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n City Attorney Arturo Michel said Houston officials could be held liable \u201cboth civilly and criminally\u201d if they attempt to end the existing coordination with ICE because state law prohibits such action.\u00a0<\/p>\n A July survey<\/a> conducted by Texas Southern University showed that 95 percent of respondents believe immigrants living in the country illegally who commit violent crimes should be deported.\u00a0 Several council members said last week that the current conversation isn\u2019t about whether violent criminals should be deported. <\/p>\n While there appears to be disdain for the strong presence of federal agents in Houston, there\u2019s not much the city council can do about it, said At-Large Councilman Julian Ramirez, an attorney who was elected in December 2023 on a public safety platform. <\/p>\n \u201cCan we legally limit ICE\u2019s authority to enforce immigration laws in the city? No. Can we take a look and offer input and suggestions? Not necessarily in an official capacity, but I think individual council members can do that,\u201d Ramirez said. \u201cIt\u2019s hard to discern what\u2019s going on with ICE. There are anecdotes that we hear, but I don\u2019t think that ICE is sharing a lot of information on what their actions are. At least they\u2019re not reaching me. I think change will happen when the federal government recognizes the economic consequences of mass deportation.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Ramirez and his chief of staff Leah Wolfthal created Bringing Houston Together<\/a>, an initiative to foster dialogue and communication among people with differing opinions. The pair hosted an event in July that focused solely on immigration and met again last week, joining forces with Council Member Sallie Alcorn, to talk with residents about immigration and free speech.\u00a0<\/p>\n Ramirez said he asked the city\u2019s legal department why HPD was referring administrative warrants to ICE when they\u2019re issued by immigration personnel rather than judges. He said he was referred to Senate Bill 4<\/a>, signed into law in 2017, which prohibits \u201csanctuary cities\u201d and limits what municipalities can do when it comes to setting policies.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMy understanding is that SB 4 prevents the city from enacting policies that protect immigrants from ICE,\u201d Ramirez said. \u201cIt was litigated and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals kept SB 4 in place. It was never overturned, and as a city, we\u2019re constrained to follow SB 4.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n The council member told the Press he doesn\u2019t think the city has done a good job of explaining that. Additionally, he said, few people are talking about the potential repercussions of not cooperating with the federal government. It could result in the loss of hundreds of millions in funding for things like disaster relief, he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n There are significant concerns not just from the immigrant community but that Houston could stop growing and the economy could tank if mass deportation continues, Ramirez said. He added that he\u2019s had private conversations with federal officials who indicate that ICE\u2019s current approach could be scaled back after the March 2026 primaries.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf you want to change immigration policy, the federal government has the authority to do that,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s not a whole lot that the city can do.\u201d<\/p>\n Council Member Abbie Kamin, who is reportedly<\/a> gathering support to become the next interim county attorney if current office-holder Christian Menefee is elected to Congressional District 18, said legal residents are being denied due process.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI trust HPD,\u201d Kamin said. \u201cRegardless of immigration status, if someone poses a public safety risk to our community, it is local law enforcement\u2019s job to enforce our laws, and I have faith in them to do that. We are grappling now as a city where we are seeing something horrific taking place. For many, there are warrantless searches that are occurring. There are stops that are occurring that include racial profiling.\u201d<\/p>\n Griffith, the union leader, pointed out that ICE agents are federal law enforcement officers. He cautioned against the narrative that we must \u201cfight\u201d against them. Kamin said no one is advocating for assaulting a police officer.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWhen people say fight, what they\u2019re talking about is protecting the community that is under assault right now,\u201d she said, adding that there appears to be a sentiment of, \u201cgive them what they want so we can avoid a heavier hand.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cWe cannot throw Houston families under the bus on a hope or a prayer that it will prevent a heavier hand,\u201d she said. \u201cThe stories and the images that we are seeing are inhumane. They are heart-wrenching. They are traumatizing children. The conditions in which they are being kept are also inhumane.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Kamin referenced a recent lawsuit<\/a> in which Attorney General Ken Paxton alleged the Harris County Commissioners Court violated the Texas Constitution by funding organizations that provide legal services for undocumented persons.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cMayor, you said it shouldn\u2019t be political,\u201d Kamin said. \u201cThis is about protection. Political is the cheap shots like Attorney General Paxton just made, filing a lawsuit against the county on drummed-up charges and grounds that are absolutely absurd when the county steps up to provide funding for the legal defense of children.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Councilman Joaquin Martinez said his next-door neighbor, a man who had no criminal history, was recently deported to El Salvador. The man\u2019s wife reached out to Martinez, and he said it\u2019s been one of the \u201cheaviest\u201d things he\u2019s dealt with as a council member. He said his mother lived in Houston for 40 years and was not a U.S. citizen. \u201cThis is personal to me,\u201d he said.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cI challenge folks who have privilege, who have a voice, to be thoughtful, take a few steps back and think about the folks who are getting deported who are not criminals,\u201d he said. \u201cWhat ICE is doing is disgusting. I think everyone can agree to that. At what point do we, especially in these positions, provide some peace in this chaos or do we continue to inflame these conversations?\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n He said he believed and trusted that the mayor and Houston police are following the law.\u00a0<\/p>\n While Whitmire\u2019s narrative has shifted into, \u201cDon\u2019t blame HPD for following the law,\u201d one city council hopeful is campaigning on the premise that Houston officials should explore all options.\u00a0<\/p>\n Alejandra Salinas, a candidate for the At-Large Place 4 City Council seat, said council members can pass ordinances to try to protect the community.<\/p>\n \u201cWe can try to work with the mayor and police department to try to figure out what options we have under state law,\u201d she said. \u201cI think we should be asking those questions. Some states have passed laws that say ICE can\u2019t go into certain spaces like churches and hospitals without Article 3 warrants. Where can we fight back and bring litigation against the state and federal government to protect our communities in Houston?\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI think we need to have all the options on the table because what\u2019s happening is frankly un-American,\u201d she added. \u201cThere\u2019s nothing wrong with going after violent criminals, but that\u2019s not what\u2019s happening right now.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n Salinas is facing former Houston Councilman Dwight Boykins in a December 13 runoff<\/a> election. Boykins hasn\u2019t said much about immigration on the campaign trail, focusing on public safety and infrastructure as his top priorities.\u00a0<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Immigration.png\")
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested 422 undocumented people in Houston during a week-long raid in May. Credit: Screenshot<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Alejandra-Salinas.jpg\")
Houston City Council candidate Alejandra Salinas talks to a supporter at a fundraising event on November 16. Credit: April Towery<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-tx\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Christina-Morales.jpg\")
State Rep. Christina Morales, D-Houston, right, pictured at a campaign event for Alejandra Salinas on November 16, has condemned the practices of Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Houston. Credit: April Towery<\/p>\n