Houston Mayor John Whitmire’s Nov. 6 executive order changes when the Houston Police Department contacts federal immigration authorities. It says officers should contact ICE about a person only when that person is already going to jail on new charges or another warrant and has a positive database hit for an ICE administrative warrant. The order also says immigration status alone is not grounds to contact ICE, extend detention, or take someone into custody.

The directive formalizes a narrower approach to routine police encounters. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has said his office is reviewing whether Houston’s policy complies with state law; the legal dispute remains unresolved.

Sources: City of Houston, Executive Order 1-74 (Nov. 6) — houstontx.gov source ↗ ; Associated Press — apnews.com source ↗ ; Reuters — investing.com source ↗