City council passes proposal clarifying how HPD responds to immigration enforcement

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- The Houston City Council has just voted to approve an ordinance that gives more clarity on how police officers can interact with federal agencies like ICE.

Council members weighed in on the proposal before the vote, some giving their full support and others claiming the ordinance unfairly questions the judgment of Houston Police Department officers.

The vote was 12 to 5 in favor of the ordinance that will implement two key items that will regulate what HPD officers can do when it comes to their interactions with the federal agency, ICE.

The first item requires HPD to give the council a report twice a year about the amount of city resources being used on immigration enforcement.

The second says a person can only be detained during a police encounter for the amount of time that is reasonable to complete the legitimate purpose of that initial stop.

For example, this means if someone gets stopped for a traffic violation, once a ticket is issued, they need to be let go.

Several council members expressed support for the ordinance, saying this will improve safety while still allowing officers to do their job.

"It does not prohibit communication between HPD and ICE," council member Julian Ramirez said. "It does not create a sanctuary city. It does not allow criminals to go free."

A few members said they don't support the ordinance, particularly because they feel it questions the legal judgment of officers.

"Where does the trust begin and where does it end? I think we gotta' have a good conscious thought about how and what message do we send to the men and women putting their lives on the line each and every day," council member Willie Davis said.

There was a third item in this ordinance that the city's attorney said violated Texas state law SB 4.

Some council members, however, are vowing to move forward with trying to get it passed because they say it doesn't violate the law.