FIEL, through director Cesar Espinosa, says the order means a mother taking her child to school will not panic when she sees HPD
FIEL HoustonHouston immigrant rights group; executive director Cesar Espinosa, speaking to the Associated Press
FIEL executive director Cesar Espinosa tells the AP that collaboration between local police and federal agents has made people afraid of getting stopped for a traffic ticket or calling for help, and that the order means a mother taking her child to school will not have a panic attack every time she sees Houston police.
Responding to
Limiting Houston police contact with ICE to people arrested on jailable offenses will improve public safety and reduce fear among immigrant residents.
“It means that the mom taking her kid to school is not going to have a panic attack every time she sees HPD”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Whitmire orders Houston police to stop contacting ICE over nonviolent offenses; ICE says he is protecting criminals
On November 6, 2026, three days after Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Gov. Greg Abbott, Houston Mayor John Whitmire signed an executive order directing police to stop contacting ICE over nonviolent offenses. Police Chief J. Noe Diaz says officers will contact ICE only when someone they arrest also has an administrative immigration warrant. Whitmire says the change will reduce fear; ICE and Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin criticized it.
Source and context
Reporting
About this source
The AP reports that Whitmire signed an order limiting police cooperation with ICE after Democrat Gina Hinojosa defeated Gov. Greg Abbott, quotes Whitmire, prints ICE's statement criticizing the change, and quotes FIEL executive director Cesar Espinosa and immigration attorney Ruby Powers.
Archived copy (opens in a new tab)Before the quotation
The AP reports that immigrants' rights activists in Houston who have been critical of Whitmire celebrated the change, and Espinosa says collaboration between local police and federal agents has made people afraid of getting stopped for a traffic ticket or calling for help.
After the quotation
The AP then quotes Houston immigration attorney Ruby Powers, who says it will probably take some time for the immigrant community to feel safer.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
The reference point is Mayor John Whitmire's November 6, 2026 executive order directing Houston police to stop contacting ICE over nonviolent offenses. FIEL welcomes the order as easing immigrants' fear of the police, which defends it.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- John Whitmire
More from this case
Read the full caseMullin says sanctuary politicians are failing their constituents by limiting cooperation with ICE
“Sanctuary politicians are already failing their constituents by limiting cooperation with ICE.”Read statement
ICE says Houston's mayor is advocating policies that protect some of the worst criminals in America
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement
“This is the Mayor of Houston directly advocating for policies that protect some of the worst criminals in America.”Read statement
Share or embed this statement
The embed keeps its attribution link to The Dispute Index. Credit the image to The Dispute Index and link to the statement page.
Cite this record
- Publisher
- The Dispute Index
- Title
- FIEL, through director Cesar Espinosa, says the order means a mother taking her child to school will not panic when she sees HPD
- First published
- Last updated
- Permalink
- https://disputeindex.com/events/8438-fiel-executive-director-cesar-espinosa-tells-the-ap
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "FIEL, through director Cesar Espinosa, says the order means a mother taking her child to school will not panic when she sees HPD". First published: 2026-11-09. Last updated: 2026-11-09. https://disputeindex.com/events/8438-fiel-executive-director-cesar-espinosa-tells-the-ap