The Houston Police Department will no longer alert U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement when an officer stops someone for a non-violent offense. Officers will notify ICE only if the stop leads to a jailable arrest. Mayor John Whitmire announced the change with HPD Chief Noe Diaz at a press conference on Nov. 6.
Whitmire said he signed an executive order to make the change effective immediately. He said it is meant to begin a healing process and reduce fear and anxiety in the community. He also said he had spoken with incoming statewide elected officials, who he said indicated that Senate Bill 4 is not a priority. SB 4 is a state law that bans sanctuary city policies and requires local law enforcement and jails to comply with ICE detainer requests. Whitmire said he voted against the bill when it passed the Senate.
The change follows an April 2026 city council decision that ended HPD's 30-minute wait for ICE agents. Gov. Greg Abbott responded by saying he would withhold state public safety funding. Democrats flipped control of the Texas House in the Nov. 3 election, and Republicans kept the state Senate. Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Abbott and is expected to take office in January 2027.