Houston mayor bolts early from ICE cooperation after blue wave crashes in Texas

Houston Mayor John Whitmire has ordered police to stop contacting federal immigration authorities over non-violent offences, reversing a policy shaped by pressure from Texas Governor Greg Abbott. The change matters because Abbott had threatened to withhold more than $100 million in state funding from cities that did not co-operate with federal authorities.

Whitmire said officers may still notify Immigration and Customs Enforcement when someone is charged with a new crime, but should not report people encountered in traffic stops or other minor incidents. He said Abbott’s requirements had caused anxiety among residents and described the new policy as responsible and more effective. The Department of Homeland Security criticised the move, arguing that local co-operation helps ICE arrest people it calls criminal offenders; the article also says Houston had previously tightened its procedures after Abbott’s funding threat and an investigation by the state attorney general.