HOUSTON — The Houston City Council voted 13-4 on April 22, 2026, to amend a city ordinance limiting police cooperation with federal immigration agents after Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to withhold public safety grants. The vote followed more than two hours of discussion during the council's weekly meeting.

On April 8, 2026, the council had passed an ordinance eliminating the requirement for police officers to wait 30 minutes for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents with nonjudicial administrative warrants before releasing detained individuals if agents did not arrive. Under the original ordinance, if ICE agents did not arrive within that 30-minute window, officers recorded detainees' information and released them.

Abbott warned that the ordinance violated the terms of $110 million in state public safety grants Houston had received for police and security during the FIFA World Cup games the city is hosting in June. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against Mayor John Whitmire and city council members, accusing them of violating a 2017 state law that prevents cities from adopting policies limiting the enforcement of immigration laws.

The amended ordinance deletes language stating that ICE administrative warrants, as opposed to judicial warrants signed by a judge, are not sufficient for police officers to arrest or detain individuals. Whitmire said he consulted with Abbott's office about making changes to the ordinance to prevent Houston from losing its funding. "We've got to have today the restoration of the $114 million," Whitmire said.

Council member Abbie Kamin, one of three members who had supported the original ordinance, voted against amending it, saying the change amounted to giving in to bullying tactics from state leaders. "If we rollover now to a bully, what will he come for next?" Kamin said.

Abbott has issued similar threats against Dallas and Austin, which have law enforcement and immigration policies like Houston's. Combined, the three cities could lose about $200 million in public safety funding, including tens of millions expected to cover security at World Cup matches this summer.

Dallas officials said they are committed to ensuring public safety and would respond to Abbott's threat by Thursday. Austin officials have indicated they could try to negotiate with Abbott over the funding threat, and said the local policy complies with state law. Abbott's threat to Austin would cut nearly $3 million in funding that supports trauma aid for police officers and sexual assault victims.

Local leaders in many of Texas's left-leaning urban areas have sought to avoid drawing federal government attention during the immigration crackdown by President Donald Trump's administration. The 2017 state law cited by Paxton in his lawsuit was enacted to prevent cities from limiting enforcement of immigration laws.