Houston police issue new directive for amended immigration ordinance passed by City Council

HOUSTON - The Houston Police Department issued a new directive to comply with the amended immigration ordinance approved by Houston Mayor John Whitmire and the majority of City Council members on Wednesday. 

New directive issued by Houston Police regarding amended immigration ordinance

What we know:

According to the release, both the City of Houston and the Governor's Office have reviewed the directive and confirm it complies with the amended ordinance and the State of Texas' grant requirements. 

The directive:

Mobile users, click here to view the directive. 

What they're saying:

"The amended ordinance reaffirms the Fourth Amendment and allows us to recover $114 million in state public safety funding," said Mayor Whitmire in a news release. "I thank the 12 council members who supported this change and understood the consequences. These funds are critical in continuing to make public safety our highest priority, including preparation for the FIFA World Cup."

The backstory:

Houston City Council voted to pass changes to a city ordinance on Wednesday that outlines how police should interact with federal immigration authorities after the ordinance prompted the state to threaten to pull $110 million in funding.

City council members previously 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 gave the city until Wednesday to repeal the ordinance before it pulls back the money.

Gov. Abbott on Houston's change ICE-related policy

While attending an election event in Montgomery County, Texas Governor Greg Abbott spoke to the press regarding the changes to Houston's policy on HPD's interactions with federal immigration authorities.

Last week, Gov. Greg Abbott explained what would happen if the city did not repeal the April 8 ordinance.

Abbott said failure to comply with the agreement would mean Houston would have had to return the $110 million in grants.

Dig deeper:

Council Members Abbie Kamin and Alejandra Salinas urged Houston Mayor John Whitmire to wage a legal fight.

"If we roll over now to a bully, what will he come for next?" said Kamin.

"There's a lot of accusations of folks playing politics. I think it is clear that the only people doing that are the Governor and the Attorney General," said Salinas.

"As a City, we cannot dig our heels in. Our problems are too big. Our expenses are too large. And I know for a lot of people, unfortunately, believe this feels like surrender, but it's not. This is real stewardship," said Council Member Martha Castex Tatum.

"A measured approach is not weakness. It's responsible governance," said Council Member Joaquin Martinez.

"At the end of the day, we are all sitting here arguing about federal issues. It's time we get back to the business of the city, because we can't say we are doing this for the immigrant community and not have the same urgency to fix the streets, so they can get to work or to fix the flooding, so their homes don't flood," said Council Member Amy Peck.

"This vote is about good government. It isn't about whether the red team wins or the blue team wins. It's about making sure Houston doesn't lose," said Council Member Julian Ramirez.