HPD reports 17 transfers to ICE; Harris County sheriff explains different jail process
Comparing ICE interactions with Houston Police, Harris County Sheriff's Office
A newly released Houston Police Department report offers a closer look at encounters involving immigration authorities, while separate Harris County jail figures highlight the different ways local agencies interact with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. FOX 26's Karys Belger compares the two agencies.
HOUSTON - A newly released Houston Police Department report offers a closer look at encounters involving immigration authorities, while separate Harris County jail figures highlight the different ways local agencies interact with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
ICE interactions: Comparing Houston Police, Harris County Sheriff's Office
By the numbers:
HPD reported 17 direct transfers to ICE between July 1 and Sept. 30, 2026. Harris County jail figures shared by FOX 26’s Greg Groogan show 4,024 releases to ICE so far this year.
The totals are not directly comparable. They cover different time periods and different processes: HPD’s report documents immigration-related field encounters, while the county figures track releases to ICE from a jail that receives people booked by multiple law enforcement agencies.
For Sergio Lira, president of Greater Houston LULAC Council 4967, understanding those distinctions is important. But he says the numbers alone do not capture the fear residents describe to his organization.
Breaking down HPD numbers
Local perspective:
HPD’s quarterly immigration report, released Oct. 28, lists 292,975 checks of people through the National Crime Information Center, a national law enforcement database.
Of those checks, the department recorded 88 immigration-related database hits or ICE contacts. The database hits and ICE contacts are combined into one category, so That means the total of 88 should not automatically be interpreted as 88 separate calls initiated by officers to ICE.
The outcomes were:
The report says immigration-related hits or ICE contacts represented approximately 0.03% of all person checks during the quarter. Direct transfers to ICE represented approximately 0.006%.
The department listed an average detention length of 46 minutes. The summary does not break that average down by outcome or identify how much time was spent specifically waiting for immigration authorities.
Mayor John Whitmire has emphasized the small number of direct ICE transfers relative to HPD’s overall activity.
"I’m emphasizing the report to counter anyone who would try to wrongly alarm the community," Whitmire said during remarks about the findings.
Community concern
What they're saying:
Lira said residents’ concerns extend beyond the number of people transferred into federal custody.
He described overhearing women discussing an experience at an ESL center where, he said, they mistook a security guard for an immigration officer and left out of fear. FOX 26 has not independently verified that account.
Lira said he wants more opportunities for residents to provide input into how HPD builds community trust. He also expressed concern that fear of immigration enforcement can discourage people from reporting incidents or speaking with authorities.
The quarterly report itself does not measure whether residents are becoming more or less willing to seek police assistance.
Why the county numbers are different
Big picture view:
The county figures shared by Groogan list releases from the Harris County jail to ICE:
The shared table does not specify the exact cutoff date for the 2026 figures.
Those totals should not be treated as a measure of immigration arrests initiated solely by sheriff’s deputies. Harris County’s jail receives people booked by multiple law enforcement agencies.
In a social media response to Groogan, Sheriff Ed Gonzalez emphasized the distinction between his office’s jail responsibilities and proactive immigration enforcement.
"As Sheriff, I’m legally obligated under Texas law, including SB 4, to comply with applicable federal immigration detainers," Gonzalez wrote.
Lira also cautioned against treating HPD’s field encounters and county jail releases as equivalent measures.
"And the volume of those that are detained and turned over to ICE at the Sheriff’s Department is much different," Lira said. "You’re comparing apples to oranges."
Does a transfer to ICE mean deportation?
Sheriff Gonzalez emphasized that a transfer into federal immigration custody is not the same as deportation.
The county table identifies releases to ICE. It does not establish how many people were subsequently deported or what happened in their immigration proceedings.
Likewise, HPD’s quarterly report lists transfers to ICE but does not document the final immigration outcomes for those individuals.
Dig deeper:
HPD also published an anonymized dataset describing individual encounters during the quarter.
The records include dates, reasons for inquiries, offense-report categories, detention lengths, outcomes and general locations.
Some entries involve traffic stops. Others are categorized as calls for service, including entries associated with family violence and lost or missing-person reports.
However, the dataset does not identify whether the person whose immigration information was checked was a suspect, victim, witness or someone else involved in the incident.
An offense-report category alone does not establish that the person checked committed the offense listed.
What we don't know:
The summary and dataset leave several questions that require additional records or explanations:
- What specific circumstances led officers to contact immigration authorities in each encounter?
- Why did some encounters end in release while others resulted in transfer to ICE?
- What portion of each detention was spent handling the original police matter versus immigration-related activity?
- Were any people checked during calls for service victims, witnesses or individuals seeking assistance?
- Which arresting agencies accounted for the county jail releases to ICE?
HPD’s dataset provides a starting point for examining individual encounters, but the table alone cannot answer those questions or establish whether a particular detention complied with department policy.
What is HPD’s policy?
The quarterly report cites HPD General Order 500-05, which says officers may not inquire about citizenship status unless a person is lawfully detained or under arrest.
The report also describes circumstances in which officers may ask crime victims or witnesses about nationality or immigration status when necessary to investigate a crime or provide information about federal visa programs for people cooperating with law enforcement.
The quarterly reporting requirement remains in place under City Ordinance Section 34-41.
Where to read the report:
What you can do:
The report and underlying dataset are available through Councilmember Alejandra Salinas’ city webpage:
- HPD quarterly immigration report: July–September 2026
- HPD encounter-level dataset
- Quarterly reports archive
The Source: Houston Police Department’s quarterly immigration report and accompanying dataset, released Oct. 28, 2026; FOX 26’s interview with Sergio Lira, president of Greater Houston LULAC Council 4967; Sheriff Ed Gonzalez’s Oct. 28 social media statement; county jail figures shared by FOX 26’s Greg Groogan; and Mayor John Whitmire’s remarks carried by Houston Television.