Houston Mayor John Whitmire signed an executive order restricting when city police contact federal immigration authorities. Under the policy, routine traffic stops and minor, nonviolent violations resulting in a citation or warning will not prompt ICE contact; contact is reserved for qualifying arrests involving an ICE warrant. Whitmire said the policy focuses enforcement on public-safety threats and is intended to reduce residents’ fear and anxiety, while decisions about responding to ICE after a qualifying arrest remain with the county jail and Harris County government. The announcement followed protests over ICE actions in Houston, including the fatal shooting of a Mexican construction worker and the indictment of an ICE officer accused of injuring another man with a vehicle. Whitmire described the approach as a potential model for other Texas cities after Democrats’ election victory in the state.
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