Abbott threatens loss of $110 million after HPD-ICE policy change – Houston Public Media
Patricia Lim | KUT News
In a letter to Mayor John Whitmire on Monday, Texas Governor Greg Abbott’s workplace threatened to terminate $110 million in public security grants to the town of Houston.
The risk got here after Whitmire supported an ordinance meant to chop again on coordination between the Houston Police Department and US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“This is a crisis situation,” Whitmire mentioned in a press release. “The potential loss of state funding poses real challenges for the Houston Police and Fire Departments and will impact public safety services across our city, the 2026 FIFA World Cup preparations and the Homeland Security Department.”
Spearheaded by council members Alejandra Salinas, Edward Pollard and Abbie Kamin, the brand new HPD policy prohibited officers from detaining individuals or lengthening visitors stops on account of civil immigration warrants issued by ICE. The ordinance, which handed in a 12 to five vote on Wednesday, rolled again a policy requiring HPD officers to attend half-hour for ICE brokers to reply.
“I repeatedly warned the ordinance sponsors, Council Members Salinas, Kamin, and Pollard about the legal and financial risks associated with this approach,” Whitmire wrote.
In the letter, Abbott’s workplace gave Whitmire an Apr. 20 deadline to “confirm that the City will not enforce, and will act to repeal, the ordinance.”
Last week, after Attorney General Ken Paxton mentioned he would “absolutely stop” the implementation of the policy, Pollard referred to as on Whitmire to battle again.
RELATED: Ken Paxton says he will ‘absolutely stop’ ordinance limiting coordination between HPD and ICE
“Hopefully the mayor’s voice carries on this,” mentioned Pollard, whose workplace didn’t instantly reply to a request for touch upon Monday. “Any pushback from the state level — he should ensure that his city attorney’s directive is protected and the vote of the council is protected.”
Likewise, throughout his marketing campaign, Salinas referred to as for the town to choose authorized fights with the state authorities — particularly with regard to immigration enforcement issues.
“Where the law is wrong, we need to fight back and bring litigation,” she advised Houston Public Media earlier than the runoff election in December.
On Monday, she characterised Abbott’s risk as “an attempt to bully our city for doing what is right.”
“We should not give in to this illegal intimidation,” Salinas said. “Threatening to drag sources from police, firefighters and emergency responders places politics over public security and does nothing to make Houston safer.”
Dominic Anthony Walsh / Houston Public Media
Over the years, the town of Houston and the state authorities have repeatedly challenged you. Under the late Mayor Sylvester Turner, the state’s General Land Office tried to withhold funds for the restoration from Hurricane Harvey, which led to protracted litigation.
After 5 a long time within the Republican-controlled Texas Legislature, Whitmire pitched himself as higher suited to average tensions with the state authorities. During Whitmire’s first 12 months as mayor, Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick referred to as him a “no-nonsense guy,” including “the state and city have the best relationship we’ve had in decades.”
That relationship collapsed after the vote on Wednesday.
“We have not seen during Mayor Whitmire’s tenure the same level of conflict between the state government and the city government,” mentioned political scientist Mark Jones with Rice University. “It still remains to be seen how this outcome plays out, but there’s a reason why Mayor Whitmire, I think, initially opposed this legislation and only went along with it when it was clear that it was going to pass.”
In addition to Abbott’s risk to drag funding, Paxton — who’s in a runoff election for the US Senate — despatched Whitmire a letter on Friday notifying him of an investigation into whether or not the town violated state legislation.
In his assertion, Whitmire mentioned metropolis officers “have vital work forward and I’m contemplating all choices.”
The potential loss of public security {dollars} comes as the town faces a record-setting funds deficit — projected to hit $174 million because the fiscal 12 months ends in June.
RELATED: Houston again faces the largest budget deficit in city history. What’s Mayor Whitmire’s plan?
The measure in Houston is according to San Antonio, in that officers are required to contact ICE about civil immigration warrants. By distinction, the police departments in Austin and Dallas give supervisors and officers discretion over whether or not or to not contact ICE. Like in Houston, officers in Dallas aren’t allowed to attend for the company to reply.
When requested why solely Houston is being focused, a spokesperson for Abbott mentioned in a press release, “Governor Abbott expects all local governments — cities or counties — to cooperate with ICE in enforcing federal immigration laws. Creative efforts by local governments to get around that obligation are unacceptable.”
In a quick telephone name, Kamin — who’s operating to turn out to be Harris County Attorney — advised Houston Public Media that Abbott is “defunding the police.”
The metropolis of Houston, she continued, “has a responsibility to defend itself from state overreach and safeguard the constitutional rights afforded to all people who live in our great city.”
