Houston Mayor John Whitmire pushed back against claims that the Houston Police Department (HPD) is “cooperating” with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), clarifying that the department’s role remains strictly limited to enforcing state and city laws.
“We are the Houston Police Department. We enforce state and city laws — not immigration, not ICE,” Whitmire said during Wednesday’s City Council meeting. “Nothing about HPD’s approach has changed.”
Remarks Spark Confusion and Concern
The debate began after The Houston Chronicle reported that HPD officers contacted ICE more than 100 times in 2025 to alert the agency about individuals with active immigration warrants — a sharp rise from just nine such calls in 2024. The increase, combined with Whitmire’s recent comment at a public event that “we’re not not cooperating with ICE,” fueled confusion about how closely HPD works with federal authorities.
Council Member Mario Castillo and others demanded clarification, warning that mixed messages risked undermining public trust. On Monday, Castillo announced he would withhold district funds for HPD overtime until he received assurances that his council dollars weren’t supporting ICE coordination.
Legal Framework Behind HPD’s Actions
While Mayor Whitmire emphasized that HPD enforces only state and city laws, his reference to “following the law” likely includes Texas Senate Bill 4 (SB4). Passed in 2017, SB4 bans local governments from adopting policies that would limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, effectively prohibiting sanctuary city practices.
In practice, this law helps explain why HPD has a formal policy directing officers to contact ICE when a database hit shows an outstanding immigration warrant, even if the person is not suspected of a crime. HPD’s General Order 500‑05 instructs officers to notify ICE whenever they encounter someone flagged by NCIC or TCIC databases for a valid warrant. This policy is intended to ensure compliance with SB4 and state law.
While HPD Union President Douglas Griffith stated during Wednesday city council that officers are required to run individuals through criminal and ICE databases (NCIC – National Crime Information Center and TCIC – Texas Crime Information Center), standard law enforcement practice only mandates such checks for suspects or arrestees. Victims reporting crimes, like the Houston mother of three who called police about domestic abuse, should not be automatically run through these systems, highlighting a serious procedural gap that exposes vulnerable community members to unnecessary risk.
Mayor and HPD Leaders Stress Transparency
During the council meeting, Whitmire rejected what he called “overheated rhetoric” and said misinformation online was unnecessarily alarming immigrant families. He emphasized that HPD officers do not check immigration status during traffic stops, crowd control, or other routine enforcement.
Griffith echoed that message, explaining that officers only contact ICE — as they would any agency — when a person has an outstanding criminal warrant.
“Outside of that, we’re not working with ICE,” Griffith said.
Community Concerns
The increase in HPD calls to ICE illustrates the real-world impact of the department’s policy. Immigrant residents, particularly victims of crime, may trigger a database hit simply because of an administrative immigration warrant, even when they are not suspects. Advocates argue that the lack of protective measures for these vulnerable groups can discourage reporting and reduce trust between the community and HPD.
Adriana Tellez, who spoke during public comments, underscored this fear: “Trying to provide for their family is not a crime,” she said, noting that parents without criminal records have been detained by ICE.
Legal Limits on Ending Coordination
City Attorney Arturo Michel told council members that Houston cannot fully sever communication with ICE due to state law.
“We could be held liable both civilly and criminally,” he said, referencing Texas policies that restrict local governments from limiting cooperation with federal immigration agencies.
Bottom Line
Mayor Whitmire and HPD leadership maintain that officers are not actively enforcing immigration laws; they are acting within the limits of state law and department policy. Still, the situation illustrates the tension between legal compliance and community trust, particularly for immigrant residents who may be inadvertently flagged simply for interacting with local authorities.
For more on Houston City Council, stay tuned to Que Onda Magazine.
