The City of Houston is moving to resurrect restrictions on the Houston Police Department’s cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) now that Democrat Gina Hinojosa has won the governor’s seat.
Councilmember Alejandra Salinas, who led the original ordinance to restrict collaboration with ICE, said she plans to revisit the measure next year, if not before. “If there is an opportunity to make change sooner, we will absolutely do it,” she told the Houston Chronicle.
Texas politics changed dramatically on Tuesday night, altering how Houston police interact with federal immigration authorities. Following the defeat of Gov. Greg Abbott, city leaders are signaling an immediate push to revisit the Houston Police Department’s (HPD) cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). For months, this relationship has been a flashpoint in local government, with city officials caught between municipal policy goals and the threat of state-level funding cuts.
Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa, who defeated Abbott, previously described his threats to Houston as “shameful.” She has pledged to end cooperation with ICE across all state and local law enforcement agencies. With Abbott leaving office in January, city council members who previously pulled back on reform measures are now looking to regain lost ground.
Breaking News: After Texas flipped blue, Houston’s mayor told the city’s police officers to limit their cooperation with ICE officers. https://t.co/J0V7jv5RTs
— The New York Times (@nytimes) November 6, 2026
At Wednesday’s City Council meeting, City Controller Chris Hollins accused Mayor John Whitmire of kowtowing to Republican leaders and insisted that the city’s justification for continuing to cooperate with ICE has disappeared.
“Our excuse until now has been that we’re doing what Greg Abbott wants because what he says goes,” Hollins said. “That is no longer the case.”
Hollins also told KPRC 2 News he hopes HPD's relationship with ICE changes under new leadership: “We are spending taxpayer dollars right now to aid and abet the criminal practices of this organization. They are doing things that are hurting the Houston economy.”
HPD reported 88 immigration-related contacts with ICE from July through September. It transferred 17 people to the agency and released 58 at the scene.
Governor-elect Hinojosa has pledged to end cooperation with ICE across state and local law enforcement agencies and previously described Abbott's threats to Houston as “shameful.”
However, it’s worth noting that even if Texas cities wish to return to sanctuary policies, it won’t be quite that easy. Texas passed a sanctuary city law in 2017 that restricts cities' ability to block cooperation with immigration authorities.
Editor's Note: The mainstream media continues to gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives.
Help us continue to expose their left-wing bias by reading news you can trust. Join Townhall VIP and use promo code FIGHT to receive 60% off your membership.
Join the Conversation
VIP members get the ability to comment on articles.