Texas Democrats are moving swiftly to dismantle hard-won border enforcement measures after far-left Democrat Gina Hinojosas upset victory over Republican Governor Greg Abbott in Tuesdays gubernatorial race.
According to Gateway Pundit, Houstons Democrat Mayor John Whitmire wasted no time signaling a softer stance on illegal immigration, announcing a major shift in how the citys police interact with federal immigration authorities. On Friday, Whitmire declared at a press conference that he is revising Houstons policy toward Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), effectively narrowing the circumstances under which local officers will cooperate with federal agents.
We will change our policy regarding contact with ICE, Whitmire said. I do this to begin a healing process and reduce fear and anxiety across our community.
He made clear the political motivation behind the move, adding, I also do this knowing that elections matter. Local outlet KHOU reported that under the new guidelines, routine encounters with Houston police will no longer trigger immigration-related warrant checks unless an individual is being charged with a new jail offense.
Diaz explained that the new policy means officers will no longer contact ICE solely because someone has an administrative immigration warrant if that person is not being arrested. In practical terms, this means that if an officer pulls someone over for a minor traffic violation and issues only a citation, that person will be allowed to leave without the Houston Police Department contacting ICE, even if an administrative ICE warrant exists.
However, officers will still contact ICE if someone is arrested for a jail offense and also has an administrative ICE warrant. For conservatives who have fought to restore law and order at the border, Whitmires move looks like the opening salvo in a broader Democrat campaign to roll back enforcement across Texas.
This is just the first step in Texas Democrats efforts to throw the door back open for illegal immigrants to flood into the Lone Star State. As Fox News notes, Hinojosa has called on Abbott to end state and local cooperation with ICE, and she can order that on day one.
Hinojosa also voted against SB 4 in 2017 as a TX state rep; the bill was essentially a sanctuary cities ban and required TX law enforcement to cooperate with ICE detainers, and she then voted against another SB 4 in 2023, which made it a state crime to cross Texas illegally. With Democrats now empowered at the state level and in major cities, Texans who value secure borders and the rule of law face an uphill battle. Its going to be a long four years for the 30 million-plus residents in this former GOP stronghold.
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