Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit Thursday against the City of Houston, including Mayor John Whitmire, city council members and the police chief, challenging a recently passed immigration ordinance that he said violates state law.
The ordinance, approved in a 12-5 vote and implemented on April 8, ended a police policy requiring officers to wait at least 30 minutes for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to take custody of individuals with immigration warrants.
Paxton said the ordinance violates Senate Bill 4, which prohibits local governments from limiting enforcement of federal immigration laws. He said the measure prevents Houston police officers from stopping, arresting or detaining individuals based solely on administrative warrants issued by federal immigration authorities.
The lawsuit seeks to repeal the ordinance and ensure legal protections for law enforcement officers who cooperate with federal immigration agencies.
“I will not allow any local official to push sanctuary policies that make our communities less safe,” Paxton said in a statement.
Whitmire said the lawsuit diverts resources from public safety efforts. “It interferes with our responsibility to keep Houston safe and protect all residents,” he said.
Greg Abbott ранее warned that the state could freeze public safety funding for Houston if the ordinance remained in place. Whitmire later expressed support for repealing the measure following the state’s warning.
Abbott also said the ordinance violates an agreement between the city and federal authorities on immigration enforcement.