Pathetic. And predictable.
Mayor John Whitmire
Mayor John Whitmire last week joined his City Council colleagues in voting to limit Houston police officers’ interactions with federal immigration agents, but now says the city must “correct” its policy after Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to pull $110 million in public safety grants.
“We’ve got to correct that policy,” Whitmire said after a Tuesday press conference about the FIFA World Cup. “And it does not matter what a council member’s legal opinion is. There’s only one opinion that matters, and that’s the governor’s … We can’t survive in a city that does not have public safety funding to the tune of losing 110. Public safety is my highest priority.”
Abbott’s public safety director told 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 — though Whitmire said “they closed our accounts” Monday afternoon. Whitmire said cash for World Cup security, cadet classes, equipment and police vehicles was at risk.
The mayor has called a special Houston City Council meeting Friday to vote on whether to repeal the policy, which was approved by a 12-5 vote last week. The measure eliminated the city’s prior requirement that officers wait 30 minutes for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers to pick up someone with a civil immigration warrant.
“We had a reasonable immigration ICE policy that was working well but three council members that are running for office decided to make this a higher-profile issue,” Whitmire said at the Tuesday press conference.
The proposal was brought forward by Council Members Alejandra Salinas, Abbie Kamin and Edward Pollard under Proposition A, which allows any three council members to add an item to a council agenda as long as it is legal. Typically only the mayor has that power.
Whitmire for months fought attempts to limit HPD’s ICE cooperation, repeatedly saying the city was following state and federal laws. He then voted in favor of the proposal last week, saying he felt it codified existing policy and that “it makes a statement that we listen.”
The mayor backed the proposal after the city’s legal department, which reports to him, struck a section that would have given officers discretion on whether to call ICE.
See here for the previous update, and here for the Chron story on Abbott’s threat. Just a reminder, the City Attorney reviewed and approved the ordinance that was passed, assuring that it was in compliance with state law. Mayor Whitmire voted for it, based I’m sure in part on that assurance. But now that Abbott is throwing a toddler tantrum, he wants to blame the three Council members who put the ordinance forward. That’s the sort of thing they just don’t teach in leadership classes, I’ll tell you.
Here’s a brief quote from the Chron op-ed on this debacle:
Houston isn’t a sanctuary city. It never has been. This new policy doesn’t change that. In fact, it doesn’t even go as far as policies recently adopted by Dallas or Austin. The Harris County Jail has been and still is a hub of ICE activity. Immigrants arrested for serious crimes are routinely handed over to the feds. We’re nothing like Minneapolis or Los Angeles. Heck, more people are arrested on immigration-related charges in the Houston area than in any other region in the country and that’s still not enough for Abbott?
It’s pretty clear who’s concerned with public safety here and it isn’t a governor who threatens to withhold funding for it. His office sent a letter saying it would withhold unspecified public safety dollars, which presumably could include the police. Going after Houston is just part of the partisan playbook in Austin. Whitmire promised when he ran for office that his longstanding ties to Austin and respect among Republicans as a smart-on-crime Democrat would spare us from such political games. Apparently not.
Yes, please tell me again how having his phone number in Abbott’s Hotmail contacts has been beneficial to the rest of us, because I sure as hell can’t see it. Grow a pair and tell Abbott we’ll see him in court. And that if he thinks he can do so great a job as Houston’s Mayor, get his ass on down to City Hall, log off of Twitter, and give it a try. The reason why Abbott attacked Houston while leaving Dallas and Austin alone is because he expected Whitmire to roll over and show his belly. Give him a reason to think differently next time and maybe he’ll think twice about it. The Trib has more.
UPDATE: CM Salinas has sent a letter to Mayor Whitmire urging him to have the city file for a temporary restraining order against the retraction of the funds, which she says could be heard today. I’ll post a link to the letter later today.
I don’t know what DINO Whitmire minored in while at UofH, but I’m guessing it wasn’t Economics or Diplomacy or Law – that he studied Political Science is all the more baffling as it doesn’t appear he has any skill set associated with same. Mention lawsuit in any conversation with him and he folds like a house of cards.
The CoH budget is shot, finished, finito for the foreseeable future, but he’s too busy gussy’in a three block stretch of downtown Main Street or remote reporting on Montrose street repair to take much notice. #Sad
From the Internet Overlord:
Key Criticisms and “Failures” Identified by Critics:
Budget Deficit and Fiscal Issues: Critics highlight his struggles to manage a severe structural budget deficit, projected to be around $134 million for FY 2026, or as high as $227 million in some reports. He is accused of failing to provide specific plans for new revenue sources.
Feud with State over Police Funding: As of April 2026, a major crisis emerged over his support for an ordinance governing how police interact with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). Texas Governor Greg Abbott threatened to cut $110 million in funding for police and fire services, putting him at odds with his own party and the state.
Infrastructure and Project Management: Critics contend that Whitmire has failed in infrastructure investment, with reports of him reversing promises not to divert drainage funds and disrupting city funding for METRO projects.
Police Investigation Handling: Although he ordered a review, the investigation into over 264,000 suspended police cases was criticized for its slow progress and failure to provide a clear timeline for implementing improvements to prevent future issues.
Political Missteps (Reprimands): He was formally reprimanded by the Harris County Democratic Party for his close relationship with state Republican leadership (such as hosting a fundraiser for Dan Crenshaw) and for falling short of local, progressive party priorities.
Water Billing Concerns: Despite a “Water Bill Improvement Plan” aiming to fix thousands of inaccurate bills, some residents reported continued issues with new, unexpected spikes in their water bills.
He is learning (or not) that when caving to fascists, there is never enough caving that will satisfy the fascists, and his standing with them and the people he supposedly represents will never improve. It will only deteriorate.
Does anyone hear Shitweasel Abbott thanking him for his previous capitulations?