Austin will change its rules for how police officers work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, Mayor Kirk Watson said Friday. Watson said he asked Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis to write a new policy that would be ready when Gov.-elect Gina Hinojosa, an Austin Democrat, replaces Gov. Greg Abbott in January. In a statement on the City Council message board, Watson said the goal is to keep city policies aligned with Austin's values.
The Austin Police Department has changed its ICE policy twice in the past year. A March change followed local outcry after a Honduran woman and her five-year-old daughter were arrested and deported after interacting with APD. Later, after the state threatened to withhold money, the department changed its policy again. Houston Mayor John Whitmire also announced a similar change on Friday, according to the report.
Watson said he expects to work more easily with the state under new leadership. He said state law, known as Senate Bill 4, still bars cities from limiting cooperation with ICE, and the city will follow it for now. Watson said the federal crackdown and state preemption have created a "policy of fear" for many residents, and he hopes the new policy will help reduce it.