No Borders NewsHouston City Council and Mayor John Whitmire approved an amended ordinance related to how the Houston Police Department (HPD) works with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The change removes an earlier ordinance that set clearer limits and emphasized Fourth Amendment protections for people in Houston.
According to the Immigrant Legal Resource Center (ILRC), the earlier ordinance did not violate any laws and was designed to curb what ILRC describes as overreach in HPD’s cooperation with ICE. ILRC says the new version was passed by a 13–4 vote and leaves residents more exposed to potential constitutional problems.
ILRC also argues that the timing matters. With major events expected in the Houston area soon, ILRC says the amended ordinance gives HPD more authority to act in ways that affect immigration enforcement, even though the group points to Supreme Court decisions limiting local police authority in this area.
The ILRC statement cites a sharp increase in HPD calls to ICE. It says HPD called ICE about nine times during routine encounters from 2020 through 2024, but that number rose to more than 100 calls from January 2025 through October 2025, with many calls linked to traffic stops.
ILRC says it will keep monitoring HPD’s behavior and pushing for accountability, including concerns about local resources being used to support federal enforcement priorities. For the exact ordinance language and legal details, readers should consult the city’s official ordinance records and the ILRC statement linked below.