Houston Mayor John Whitmire signed an executive order on Nov. 6 limiting the police department’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Speaking at a press conference, Whitmire said the policy is meant to reduce fear and anxiety across Houston and would help ensure that people charged with new jailable offenses, including violent crimes, are removed from the streets.
The move marks a departure from the approach taken under Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, who lost his reelection bid to Gina Hinojosa in the Nov. 3 midterm elections.
Hinojosa, a state representative from Austin, will become the first Democrat to serve as Texas governor since Ann Richards left office in 1995. She has pledged to lead a bipartisan administration in Texas….