Houston’s Immigration Policy Risks $110 Million in Grants
Houston is potentially looking at a loss of $110 million in grants due to a recent immigration policy proposition, as indicated by state officials from Texas.
On Monday, Houston Mayor John Whitmire expressed concerns that a new ordinance could threaten public safety funding for the city.
A communication from Andrew Friedrichs, who leads the Public Safety Office (PSO) under Governor Greg Abbott, highlighted that Whitmire had previously signed a certification in April 2025 that required Houston to fully engage with programs set by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in order to qualify for PSO grants.
This obligation entails informing the DHS about any information they seek related to undocumented individuals in the custody of the Houston Police Department (HPD) and complying with detainment requests from the DHS.
“This letter serves to notify you that this new ordinance…is in breach of your April 15, 2025, certification and imperils all grant agreements between the City and PSO for Fiscal Year 2026,” the letter indicated.
The ordinance pertains to the manner in which Houston police interact with immigration officials and stipulations regarding the reporting of immigration status. Notably, it rescinds a prior requirement that officers must wait up to 30 minutes for federal immigration agents.
“The ordinance, therefore, provides that officers may not prolong a detention solely to facilitate contact with, or response from, federal immigration authorities absent an independent lawful basis for continued detention,” stated the ordinance document.
The ordinance asserts that administrative warrants from ICE are civil matters and thus do not authorize local law enforcement to stop, arrest, or detain individuals. According to the proposal, HPD policy clarifies that someone’s immigration status alone does not warrant police action.
However, state officials regard this measure as a violation of Texas Senate Bill 4, which forbids local governments from adopting policies that significantly limit cooperation with ICE, as mentioned in a message to Whitmire from Assistant Attorney General Steven Ogle.
“[The] practical effect is to discourage HPD officers from holding detainees for any length of time lest their actions be second-guessed,” the letter commented on the implications of the proposal.
Friedrich’s correspondence specified that Houston had received approximately $110 million in PSO grants for the 2026 fiscal year.
“If PSO elects to terminate those grants, the City would be required to repay to PSO the entire amount on or before the 30th day after PSO terminates,” it read.
Whitmore remarked that he supported the ordinance “believing it affirmed our original policy.”
“Houston enforces state and local law—not federal law, and we are not ICE. However, Governor Abbott disagrees,” he noted.
The mayor described the situation as a “crisis” and mentioned he is exploring all possible options.
“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 2026 FIFA World Cup preparations and the Homeland Security Department,” he added.
Friedrich’s letter provided a deadline of April 20th for Whitmore to confirm that Houston would not enforce the ordinance and would seek its repeal.
“Failure to do so may result in PSO exercising its sole discretion [to] terminate all such grants,” it warned.
