Houston mayor signs order to limit cooperation with ICE, says ‘elections matter’ after Democrats win

Nov 6, 2026, 10:34 AM

FILE - A woman holds a sign reading "ICE OUT OF HOUSTON" during a vigil for Lorenzo Salgado Araujo, a Mexican national fatally shot by a federal immigration agent a day prior, Wednesday, July 8, 2026, in Houston. (AP Photo/Mark Felix, file)
Credit: AP Photo/Mark Felix

(AP Photo/Mark Felix, file)

HOUSTON (AP) — The mayor of Houston on Friday said the city would limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities, heralding “a new model” of immigration enforcement after Democrats swept statewide offices in Texas.

Mayor John Whitmire said the city would go after immigrants “that pose a danger, not those that are going about their family business, work and education.”

“Traffic incident will not even … you write a citation or you warn them and they go about their way. No contact with (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement) over nonviolent, non-jailable offenses. it reduces the fear and anxiety.”

Details of the change were to be spelled out in an executive order but the move by the nation’s fourth-largest city is one of the first steps to curb ICE’s powers since Tuesday’s election.