Houston Mayor Ends ICE Notifications for Nonviolent Stops Days After Abbott Loses

Houston Mayor John Whitmire signed an executive order Friday barring city police from notifying ICE about people encountered in "nonviolent contacts" such as traffic stops, three days after Texas Gov. Greg Abbott lost his bid for a fourth term.

Whitmire told The New York Times that if a suspect is charged with a new crime, "we'll let ICE know as we get them to the jailhouse." For non-jailable offenses, he told the AP, officers will issue a citation or warning with "No contact with [ICE]." He called the order "responsible" and "more effective policy."

The change reverses a revision Whitmire backed earlier this year. In April, after Abbott threatened to withhold state funding, Houston restored officers' discretion to contact ICE and wait for federal agents during encounters involving civil immigration warrants. Fox News reported that Abbott's threat was described as "millions" in one place and "more than $100 million" in another. Then-Attorney General Ken Paxton had also opened an investigation into the city's policies.

Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa takes office in January. Whitmire did not respond to Fox News' request for comment.

A DHS spokesperson said the department remains "disappointed that sanctuary politicians seek to limit cooperation with ICE," and argued that seven of the top 10 safest U.S. cities cooperate with ICE. DHS pointed to three recent ICE arrests in Houston: Alexander Montano, a Cuban national convicted of willful homicide, burglary and forced entry; Ding Nguyen, a Vietnamese national convicted of homicide; and Julio Camey, a Guatemalan national convicted of a sex offense against a child.