Houston Mayor John Whitmire issued an executive order on Friday, Nov. 6, limiting the city's police department's cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) – linking the decision to Democrats' victories in Texas' midterm elections.
The order applies to individuals released with citations and directs officers to contact ICE only when someone is arrested on an offense carrying potential jail time, Whitmire said at a news conference. He described the move as an effort to "begin a healing process" and "reduce fear and anxiety across our community," according to the BBC [1].
Whitmire, a Democrat, acknowledged that the election results influenced his decision. "Elections matter," he said, according to Reuters, which reported that the mayor announced the restrictions days after Democrats secured statewide victories in Texas [2]. He also confirmed that he had contacted newly elected state officials before issuing the order [3].
Details of the Executive Order
Under the terms of the order signed Nov. 7, the policy represents a departure from the approach taken under Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, who lost his reelection bid to Democrat Gina Hinojosa, according to the Epoch Times [4].
The directive follows a contentious legal dispute over Houston's cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Earlier this year, the Houston City Council, with Whitmire's support, ratified an ordinance limiting police cooperation with ICE. It instructed officers on permissible conduct under Texas law, including prohibiting prolonged detention solely to assist federal immigration authorities [5].
Whitmire said Senate Bill 4 (SB 4), the state's immigration enforcement law, is not a priority for the incoming statewide officials. "SB4 is not a priority of the new statewide elected officials," he told reporters [3].
Police Chief Noe Diaz clarified that officers would contact ICE when an arrest involves a new charge carrying potential jail time, according to NTD [6].
Houston Incidents and Federal Enforcement
Houston has been the site of multiple confrontations with ICE officers this year, according to officials and prosecutors. An ICE officer was indicted Friday on a charge of aggravated assault in Houston, Just the News reported [7]. Democratic members of Congress held a field hearing in Houston in July to address concerns about federal immigration enforcement actions resulting in fatalities, following a July 7 ICE shooting [8].
Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Adriano Espaillat (D-NY)., said eight people, including two U.S. citizens, have been killed by ICE agents so far during the second Trump administration [8]. In a separate incident, authorities said ICE officers in Houston fatally shot a Mexican man who had lived in the U.S. for 35 years, according to local reports. Some in Texas left "I Voted" stickers on his memorial ahead of the election, according to local reports.
Federal enforcement activity in Texas has remained elevated. Through a 10-day immigration enforcement operation in Texas, ICE arrested 4,170 people, working with state and local law enforcement partners, the agency said [9]. Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said more than 60% of those arrested had a criminal background, including murderers, sexual assailants, drunk drivers and alien smugglers [9].
Election Results and Political Shift
Democrats swept statewide offices in Texas during the Nov. 3 midterm elections, marking a significant shift in political power in a state that had been dominated by Republicans for decades. According to election results, Attorney General Ken Paxton, who had investigated Houston's ordinance, ran for Senate and was defeated by then-State Rep. Gina Hinojosa.
Abbott lost his seat to Hinojosa, now the governor-elect. Whitmire said he has been in contact with the new statewide elected officials and that SB 4 is not a priority for them [3]. Democrats took control of the state House but remained in the minority in the Texas Senate, preventing them from fully undoing some GOP policies.
The shift in the nation's fourth-largest city is one of the first actions to restrict ICE cooperation following the Democratic victories, according to the Associated Press [10]. Whitmire said the change would usher in what he described as "a new model" of immigration enforcement in Houston [11].
Conclusion
Whitmire said the executive order is intended to begin a healing process and reduce fear and anxiety across the community. "I hope people understand why we're doing this. It's about reducing fear and anxiety, not just within certain communities, but across all of Houston," Whitmire said on Friday, according to NTD [6].
As governor, Abbott spent billions on border security when former President Joe Biden was in office, according to state records. Hinojosa has called the Texas governor's border operation "political theater" and said she would review the operation, according to her previous statements.
The policy change follows the Democratic sweep and may face legal and political scrutiny under Texas Senate Bill 4, according to the law's text. The Texas Attorney General's office has previously sued Harris County over its use of taxpayer dollars to fund legal representation for individuals facing deportation proceedings [12]. Whether the new executive order will withstand legal challenges remains to be seen.
References
- Texas mayor instructs police to limit cooperation with ICE. https://bbc.com/news/articles/c8dx33d22zkro
- Houston mayor curtails police cooperation with ICE, saying 'elections matter'. https://www.reuters.com/legal/government/houston-mayor-curtails-police-cooperation-with-ice-saying-elections-matter-2026-11-07/
- Houston Mayor Curbs ICE Cooperation Days After Abbott Loses - And Says Texas' New Leaders Are On Board. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/houston-mayor-curbs-ice-cooperation-days-after-abbott-loses-and-says-texas-new-leaders
- Houston Mayor Orders Local Police to Curtail Cooperation With ICE. https://theepochtimes.com/us/houston-mayor-orders-local-police-to-curtail-cooperation-with-ice-6120786
- Houston, TX Ordinance Minimizing Police Cooperation with ICE. https://playbook.irisct.org/houston-tx-ordinance-minimizing-police-cooperation-with-ice/
- Houston Mayor Limits Cooperation with ICE After Democratic Victories in Texas. https://www.ntd.com/houston-mayor-limits-cooperation-with-ice-after-democratic-victories-in-texas_1183944.html
- Lone Star Mission: ICE arrests more than 4,000 in 10 days in Texas without incident. https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/lone-star-mission-ice-arrests-more-4000-10-days-texas-without-incident?utm_source=justthenews.com&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=external-news-aggregators
- Democratic members of Congress hold field hearing on ICE shooting in Houston. https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/democratic-members-congress-hold-field-hearing-ice-shooting-houston?utm_source=justthenews.com&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=external-news-aggregators
- ICE Arrests More Than 4,000 Illegal Immigrants in 10-day Texas Immigration Enforcement Operation. https://www.ntd.com/ice-arrests-more-than-4000-illegal-immigrants-in-10-day-texas-immigration-enforcement-operation_1182320.html
- Houston will limit ICE cooperation in response to Democrats taking power in Texas, mayor says. https://article.wn.com/view/2026/11/07/Houston_will_limit_ICE_cooperation_in_response_to_Democrats__qd/
- Houston Mayor Signs Order To Limit Cooperation With ICE, Says ‘Elections Matter’ After Democrats Win. https://vinnews.com/2026/11/06/houston-mayor-signs-order-to-limit-cooperation-with-ice-says-elections-matter-after-democrats-win/
- Texas AG: County Provides Legal Aid to Illegal Aliens. https://thenewamerican.com/uncategorised/texas-ag-county-provides-legal-aid-to-illegal-aliens/
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