Two cities in Texas are taking steps to restrict how local law enforcement interacts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) following the midterm elections, led by an executive order in Houston and planned administrative updates in Austin. On Tuesday, Democrats swept every statewide race in the Lone Star State, Republicans' most populous stronghold, ending a three-decade losing streak in the state.
Democratic state Representative James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton, the state's scandal-plagued attorney general, to win a U.S. Senate seat, while state Representative Gina Hinojosa toppled three-term Republican Governor Greg Abbott to become the state's first Latina governor. Houston Mayor John Whitmire, a Democrat, signed an executive order this week directing the Houston Police Department to notify ICE only when a person with an administrative immigration warrant is arrested for a jailable offense.
Under the new policy, officers will no longer contact federal authorities solely because an administrative warrant appears during an encounter that results only in a warning or citation. "I do this to begin a healing process, reduce fear and anxiety across our community," Whitmire said on Friday during a news conference. "I also do this knowing that elections matter." Whitmire added that he views the executive order as "the right thing to do at the right time" and expressed hope that Houston's actions could serve as a template for municipal governments across the state.
In Austin, Mayor Kirk Watson, a Democrat, announced Friday that he directed Police Chief Lisa Davis to draft revisions to the Austin Police Department’s general orders regarding federal immigration authorities. Newsweek reached out to ICE by email Saturday for comment. The actions follow a series of fatal encounters involving federal immigration officers that happened this year.
In January, U.S. citizens Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti were fatally shot by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis. On July 7, an ICE officer fatally shot Mexican national Lorenzo Salgado Araujo during an attempted arrest in Houston. Federal officials stated that Salgado Araujo attempted to use his vehicle against an officer, prompting the agent to fire in self-defense.
Family members and civil rights organizations have demanded an independent investigation into the incident. Senator-elect Talarico later posted on X that he placed his "I voted" sticker at a memorial for Salgado Araujo. The policy shifts reflect broader efforts by local governments nationwide to limit the use of local police, employees, facilities, and tax funds for federal civil immigration enforcement.
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