Policy faces legal challenge while trying to clarify how HPD responds to immigration enforcement
By Lileana Pearson
Published on April 1, 2026.
A proposed change to Houston City policy would have allowed police more control over when they contacted ICE. However, the city attorney ruled that a major part of the plan must be removed. The proposal, written together by Alejandra Salinas, aims to make three changes to HPD's immigration enforcement policies, including providing a report twice a year on how much city resources are used for immigration enforcement. However the third item, which would have permitted officers to choose not to contact ICE if they found someone with an administrative warrant during a stop, was reviewed by Salinas and deemed illegal by the Houston City Attorney. The group argues that this violates SB4, a state law that prevents local agencies from making policies that limit the enforcement of immigration law.
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