Not Surprised

I am not surprised by this. I am not surprised at the timing. See this from ABC Channel 13 News:

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) — The City of Houston is being warned to change or repeal its new immigration policy or risk losing $110 million in public safety funding.

That warning comes in a letter sent on Monday from Gov. Greg Abbott’s office, escalating tensions between state and local leaders just days after Houston City Council passed a controversial ordinance defining how police interact with federal immigration authorities.

“It doesn’t come as a surprise to me,” Councilmember Twila Carter, one of five members who voted against the measure, said.

The ordinance, sponsored by council members Alejandra Salinas, Abbie Kamin, and Edward Pollard, removes a previous rule that required Houston police officers to wait up to 30 minutes for federal immigration agents. Supporters say the change protects civil rights and helps build trust with immigrant communities.

But the state quickly pushed back.

Within two days of the vote, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton launched an investigation into whether the ordinance violates state law. Now, the governor’s office says Houston is out of compliance and could lose millions in grant funding.

“Wow… where does anyone find $110 million?” Carter said. “Maybe those who voted in favor can try to figure that one out.”

In response, Councilmember Salinas defended the policy, calling the governor’s threat “an attempt to bully our city for doing what is right,” and maintaining the ordinance is legal.

Houston Mayor John Whitmire, who supported the measure, acknowledged the stakes, calling the situation a “crisis” and warning of real impacts to public safety if the funding is pulled.

“The potential loss of state funding poses real challenges for the Houston Police and Fire Departments and will impact public safety services across our city,” the mayor said in a statement.

Still, Whitmire says he backed the ordinance because it aligns with current police practices and civil rights protections.

“I’m supporting it because I think it makes a statement that we’ve listened, and it’s following the current practices of HPD of respecting the Fourth Amendment,” Whitmire said last week.

He also noted at the time that state lawmakers could respond, something city leaders now say they anticipated.

“We actually knew there would be ramifications. It’s a shame, but certainly not a surprise,” Carter added.

The funding in question supports police and fire operations, equipment, and major-event security, including planning for the 2026 World Cup, which Houston is set to host.

City leaders are expected to discuss the issue further at a public safety committee meeting on Tuesday morning.

Here is what Council Member Alejandra Salinas posted:

Governor Abbott is wrong on the law, and this ordinance is legal. Senate Bill 4 and the Governor cannot trump the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution.

We should not give into this unlawful intimidation. I stand ready to work with Mayor Whitmire and City Council to defend the city’s laws and protect Houston residents.

Mayor Whitmire had been trying to guide this policy to avoid state or federal intervention. He warned us this could happen. I go back to scoreboard. We are not winning in the courts on much these days.

I will be watching to see how we get through this. Stay tuned.

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Welp. The Chron just posted this:

Houston City Council will consider repealing its new policy limiting police officers’ interactions with federal immigration agents in a special Friday meeting after Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to pull $110 million in grants.

Abbott’s public safety director told Mayor John Whitmire in a Monday letter that Houston was out of compliance with its agreement for state grant funds and must revoke the policy by April 20 or repay the funds.

Oh, well.

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On a related note, this is the headline of today’s lead Chron editorial:

Whitmire may lose the police union. He hasn’t lost us — yet | Opinion

I have not talked to the mayor about city policy or politics in a while. I don’t think he worries about winning or losing the Chron E-Board support. His focus is making City Hall work for the folks of H-Town.  I think folks are satisfied with how he is running city hall and his leadership.

The mayor who is today’s featured photo is also getting H-Town ready for the World Cup that will be here in June.

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After a 1-9 roadie and after 17 games, the Astros have the lousiest record in MLB.