Routine traffic stops do not have to result in a call to ICE, but HPD has chosen to do so. Why?
Whitmire has shown high insensitivity toward the immigrant community as evident by his statement concerning the Gulfton Community.
“Whitmire’s comments last month about rapid transit in Gulfton “reveal a shocking level of ignorance and prejudice.”
Nonprofit newsroom Houston Public Landing published the mayor’s comments, where he was quoted as saying the Gulfton population is largely undocumented and wants basic services.”
The following is from the Houston Chronicle.
More than half the Houston police calls to immigration authorities since the start of 2025 have come during routine traffic stops, internal Houston Police Department reports show.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents responded to the calls and detained people a smaller percentage of the time, around 24%, but the mere fact that police are calling them on routine traffic stops has immigration advocates concerned.
In addition to instilling fear in immigrant communities about simply driving around town, Canales-Pelaez said the trend of police calling immigration authorities on traffic stops concerns her because those are the times when officers seem to have the most discretion on how to handle the situation.
The agency’s policy stipulates that officers must call ICE when they’ve legally detained someone, but the guidance is silent on whether officers must call authorities on cases outside of those instances, such as on crime victims and during traffic stops, she said.
Despite the growing number of reports detailing local police’s communications with ICE, Mayor John Whitmire and agency leaders have stringently denied cooperating with immigration authorities.
A spokesperson for the mayor said he’s been consistent that the agency will help people regardless of immigration status. But officers have no choice but to contact any agency when they find a warrant.
Well, it seems that there is a choice, but Whitmire and at least some HPD Officers are doing their part in going after the immigrant community.
I have always believed that John Whitmire looks at Mexicans as being second-class people, not worthy of respect by White people like him.
How would HPD know that a person is on that warrant list? If they are undocumented, they don’t have a driver’s license. They have no idea who the person is other than what they say. It seems apparent that they don’t know, as about half of them, ICE does not pick up after going to the scene.