HPD Chief Noe Diaz misses meeting on HPD-ICE coordination, draws scrutiny from council

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- There are questions about why Houston's Chief of Police did not show up to a Public Safety Committee Meeting to discuss a report on HPD calls involving ICE agents.

Council members expressed their frustrations and asked where he was and why he didn't show up to Tuesday's meeting.

"Where is Chief Diaz? Where is Chief Harden? Why are they not here today?" asked Council Member Alejandra Salinas.

According to the meeting's agenda, the Houston Police Department was supposed to present its quarterly immigration report.

Council members said they expected Police Chief Noe Diaz and Executive Chief Thomas Hardin to present the report and take questions, but instead HPD Division Manager Jim Mallard stood in their place.

"I understand everyone's frustration that this meeting isn't quite what any of us expected or want it to be. You know, we did want to hear from the chief about this matter," Council Member Amy Peck said.

There wasn't an explanation provided for why Chief Diaz or Chief Harden were not there.

The report showed between April and June, HPD officers contacted ICE more than 100 times after encountering people with immigration warrants, according to the data.

34 of those contacts happened during calls for service.

The calls ranged from suspicious people, suspicious vehicles, assaults, sexual assaults, thefts, and welfare checks.

In six of those cases, someone was ultimately transferred into ICE custody.

During most of the meeting, when council members asked Mallard questions about the report and HPD's cooperation with ICE, they were shot down by the city's legal department.

"I'm going to instruct him not to answer that question," a representative with the legal department said.

The city's legal department cited an active lawsuit as the reason why Mallard couldn't answer certain questions.

ABC13 reached out to the city and asked what that lawsuit is about.

The city confirmed the lawsuit in question was filed by Erick Ruiz Lopez. Lopez was deported to Honduras after a traffic stop.

In the lawsuit, Lopez claimed HPD held him for at least two hours until ICE arrived.

"When the lawsuit is resolved, my hope is that the chief and Chief Hardin will come to discuss this," Council Member Mario Castillo said.