Mayor Turner proclaims Houston a 'welcoming city'

HOUSTON (FOX 26) - Mayor Sylvester Turner proclaimed Houston as a 'welcoming city' on Monday.

“Our faiths cover the gamut -- whether you are a Baptist of a Muslim, you have every right to practice your faith,” said Mayor Turner. He vowed to uphold the constitutional rights of the immigrant population and that the police and courts will respect the constitutional rights of immigrants.

"The city that existed prior to the election is the same city that exists today," said Mayor Turner.

The Texas Organizing Committee released a statement applauding the Mayor's proclamation Monday which said that it will assure residents who are uneasy about the fate of undocumented immigrants after the election.

120,000 people were booked into the Harris County jail in 2012 under a federal program that allows law enforcement officers to identify suspected criminals for deportation. 167 people were deported in 2015. .

TOP also says it looks forward to working with the mayor to create policies that will ensure officers will "not question, stop, arrest or detain a person solely based on their national origin or immigration status."

Mayor Turner said he is not seeking to transform Houston into a sanctuary city, but he did say that he wants it to continue to be a welcoming one.