Houston mayor limits police referrals to ICE to serious offenses

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner issued an executive order directing the city police to contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) only when a person is arrested for a jailable offense. The policy, announced on Friday, follows consultations with Texas' newly elected governor, lieutenant governor and comptroller, and is intended to ease anxiety among residents.

"Elections matter. I do this to begin a healing process," Turner told reporters, adding that he hopes the measure will serve as a model for other Texas cities.

Houston Police Chief J. Noe Diaz said the department has already begun implementing the new guidelines, which mean that individuals stopped for minor traffic violations will no longer be referred to ICE solely on the basis of an administrative immigration warrant.

The change reverses a policy adopted in April under pressure from former Governor Greg Abbott, who had threatened to withhold about $110 million in state public-safety grants, citing Senate Bill 4, a 2017 law that requires local cooperation with federal immigration authorities. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has filed a lawsuit against the mayor, the city council and the police chief over the ordinance.

Data from the Houston Chronicle show that police contacts with ICE rose to at least 107 instances in the first eight months of 2025, compared with nine in all of 2024. Immigrant-rights group FIEL welcomed the order, saying it allows the community to "breathe easier."

Turner expressed confidence that Houston's approach could influence other municipalities, noting that Austin Mayor Kirk Watson is reviewing his city's ICE policy.