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Speakers against funding threat over Houston anti-ICE ordinance
While $110 million hangs in the balance over Houston's immigration policy, some speakers at Tuesday's council meeting say the city shouldn't have to choose between the policy and the money. FOX 26's Karys Belger gave a briefing of the hearing as it continued.
HOUSTON - Facing the potential loss of $110 million in public safety funding, Houston City Council will meet Wednesday to consider changing a city ordinance that dictates how police interact with federal immigration authorities.
$110M in jeopardy
The backstory:
City council members passed an ordinance on April 8 specifying that officers cannot hold someone longer or extend a stop to wait for ICE, altering a previous policy that required officers to give immigration authorities 30 minutes to respond to the scene.
On April 13, the city announced that the state was threatening to pull $110 million in public safety grants because the ordinance violates the agreements between the state and the City of Houston. The state has given the city until Wednesday to repeal the ordinance before it pulls back the money.
Proposed changes
On Wednesday, Houston City Council will vote on an amendment to the city code that the mayor’s office says will reaffirm the Fourth Amendment rights of individuals and create a clear path to restoring the funding from the state.
The proposal includes the following changes to Sec. 34-41 of the city code:
Gov. Abbott lays out the ramifications
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Gov. Abbott lays out next steps for Houston if funding cut over immigration ordinance
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott laid out what will happen to the City of Houston's public safety funds if they don't repeal an ordinance dictating how Houston police interact with ICE
What they're saying:
Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott explained what would happen if the city did not repeal the April 8 ordinance.
"The City of Houston signed an agreement to get money from the State of Texas that requires Houston to comply with the Department of Homeland Security programs about detaining illegal immigrants. After already getting $110 million from the state under that agreement, Houston is now trying to renege on their obligations," Abbott said.
Abbott says failure to comply with the agreement will mean Houston has to return the $110 million in grants.
Until they repay the money, Abbott says the state comptroller will withhold sales tax money that would otherwise go to the City of Houston.
"It’s not as if they're going to say, ‘Well, we may or may not get around to writing a check.’ Know this: The way the law works, the City of Houston gets a rebate of all the sales taxes collected in the City of Houston on a monthly basis from the comptroller. What happens by law, the comptroller will withhold the sales tax revenue that otherwise would go to the City of Houston and will be retained by the State of Texas until the State of Texas is fully paid the $110 million that is owed by Houston to the state," Abbott said.
In addition, Abbott says the city will still have to find a way to fully fund the police.
"Importantly, the requirement to return the money does not mean defunding the police. I signed a law to prevent cities from defunding the police. Under that law, Houston will have to find the funds elsewhere to fully fund the police," Abbott said.
The Source: The information in this article comes from the City of Houston and Gov. Greg Abbott.