HOUSTON – Houston City Council Member Letitia Plummer is pushing to revise Houston Police Department policy on when officers contact federal immigration authorities, a proposal she says would give officers more discretion without violating state law. But the Houston Police Union argues the change can’t happen and isn’t needed, saying ICE has picked up only eight people this year after HPD contacted the agency about open warrants.
Under HPD’s current general order, officers “shall contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) if a background check through NCIC/TCIC (National Crime Information Center and Texas Crime Information Center) returns a possible hit from ICE regarding a wanted or detained.”
This means that when officers run a person’s name and a warrant appears, administrative or criminal, they are required to contact the agency that issued it, including immigration authorities…