Texas Governor Abbott reaches agreement with Houston officials on working with ICE

(The Center Square ) – The Houston Police Department will comply with an amended order passed by the Houston City Council related to immigration enforcement, a move Gov. Greg Abbott had said Wednesday night needed to be made within 24 hours, the department said Thursday.At an event in Conroe Wednesday night, Abbott told reporters that the city council and Mayor John Whitmire had made a “positive step toward public safety” after amending an ordinance the city previously passed that resulted in Abbott withdrawing state grant funding.
The ordinance imposed restrictions on HPD officers when interacting with an illegal foreign national who has a warrant from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The warrants were issued after the individual had already gone through due process and a federal judge issued a deportation order, The Center Square reported.
The ordinance conflicted with certification requirements for a grant administered through the governor’s Public Safety Office requiring full participation with U.S. Department of Homeland Security programs and procedures and federal law. The certification requires the signer to acknowledge that if the city fails to comply with the requirement, the PSO could terminate any grant the governor’s office made to the city. Because Whitmire had certified a grant application and the city council passed the ordinance, the governor’s office withdrew $114 million in funding, The Center Square reported.
The Office of the Attorney General also sued.
The mayor then introduced an amended ordinance, which the city council nearly unanimously passed Wednesday morning.
Wednesday night, Abbott told reporters that after so many Houstonians had been killed by illegal foreign nationals, “you would think Houston would put safety, especially against those who are here illegally foremost, and to even have a policy that he’s going to give leave to those who are here illegally was outrageous.”
“The city of Houston was in violation of a contract with the state of Texas that required them to comply and work with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security,” Abbott said. “What the city did by passing the amendment to the ordinance, they brought the city in compliance with the contract.” As of Wednesday night HPD hadn’t agreed to the terms of the contract; Abbott said he wanted an agreement within 24 hours.
By 5 p.m. Thursday, the HPD issued a new directive stating it was complying with the amended ordinance.
“Both the City of Houston and the Governor’s Office have reviewed the directive and confirm it complies with the amended ordinance and the State of Texas’ grant requirements,” it said in a press release.
“The amended ordinance reaffirms the Fourth Amendment and allows us to recover $114 million in state public safety funding,” Whitmire said. “I thank the 12 council members who supported this change and understood the consequences. These funds are critical in continuing to make public safety our highest priority, including preparation for the FIFA World Cup.”
Since the city council and HPD were in compliance, Abbott said the city would receive the grant money.
Democratic Houston City Councilman Mario Castillo said the amended order doesn’t change the restrictions the city council first imposed on HPD officers. It still prohibits officers from holding an illegal foreign national with a warrant until an ICE officer arrives, requires HPD to report officer interactions with ICE to the city council, among other measures, he said.
Council voted 13–4 to amend the HPD-ICE ordinance. I supported the changes after confirmation original protections remain and transparency continues. I will keep advocating for all District H residents documented and undocumented, it is the right thing to do. pic.twitter.com/k00JDYZJTi— Mario Castillo (@MarioforHouston) April 23, 2026
Abbott also issued similar directives to the leaders of Austin and Dallas who implemented similar restrictions on their police departments. They are required to repay the state a combined nearly $35 million if they don’t comply, Abbott said, The Center Square reported. They have yet to comply with his directive.

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