Houston mayor narrows ICE cooperation after midterms: ‘Elections matter’

( NewsNation ) — Houston Mayor John Whitmire is narrowing his police department's cooperation with ICE following the rout of Texas Republicans in this week's midterm elections.

Under an executive order the Democrat announced Friday, Houston police will contact federal immigration authorities only if a person wanted by the feds has been arrested on a charge that is subject to jailing.

The nation's fourth-largest city would go after immigrants "that pose a danger, not those that are going about their family business, work and education," Whitmire said. In the case of a traffic incident, "you write a citation or you warn them and they go about their way," he said.

The reversal comes after a deadly ICE-involved shooting in Houston this summer and three days after Democrats swept Texas' statewide offices.

Voters in the traditionally red state ousted Republican Gov. Gregg Abbott, a supporter of President Trump's crackdown on illegal immigration, to elect the state's first Latina executive, Democrat Gina Hinojosa. Voters also overwhelmingly favored Democratic state lawmaker James Talarico over Trump-endorsed Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton for a U.S. Senate seat.

"I've said many times, elections matter," Whitmire said.

Houston and other Texas cities seen as Democratic strongholds have faced pressure from the Abbott administration to cooperate broadly with ICE. The White House has said cities that don't assist federal immigration enforcement are helping to harbor dangerous criminals.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.