'This Is a Crisis': Greg Abbott's $110M Grant Threat Rocks Houston Over New ICE Policy

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has threatened to withdraw $110 million in public safety grants from the city of Houston.

The threat comes after Houston Mayor John Whitmire supported an ordinance that planned to limit coordination between police and federal agents.

Abbott, on the other hand, expects every local government to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Whitmire called the situation a crisis, and warned that the city's Police Department and Fire Department could be affected if the funding is withdrawn.

According to a report by Houston Chronicle, Abbott threatened to withdraw $110 million in grant funds if Houston does not revoke its new policy that limits coordination between the local police and federal immigration agents by April 20.

A letter obtained by the media outlet stated that if the city fails to meet the obligation, then it would have to repay $110 million within 30 days of the grant’s termination.

Andre Mahaleris, Abbott's spokesman, said, "Gov. Abbott expects all local governments — cities or counties — to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in enforcing federal immigration laws."

Mahaleris further said that any "creative efforts" by local governments to bypass the grant requirements would be unacceptable.

In a press release, Whitmire stated, “This is a crisis situation,” adding that he had repeatedly warned Council Members Alejandra Salinas, Abbie Kamin and Edward Pollard about the potential impact.

Whitmire added that losing out on the funding would pose a real challenge to the city, particularly its emergency services. He said that the funds were also expected to support 2026 FIFA World Cup preparations and help coordinate federal resources.

“Our public safety departments rely on a combination of local, state and federal resources to operate effectively,” he noted.

In a separate statement, Salinas claimed that the governor’s threat was an attempt to “bully” the city.

She said that Abbott's actions were unlawful and the ordinance passed in support of the police was legal. Salinas mentioned that the governor cannot violate the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution and the city will not surrender to this “unlawful intimidation.”

“Threatening to pull resources from police, firefighters and emergency responders puts politics over public safety and does nothing to make Houston safer,” she said.

Likewise, Kamin said that Abbott was effectively defunding the police department and that the city must protect its citizens.

According to the New York Times, the ordinance was approved by a 12-to-5 vote.

The policy prevents officers from coordinating with ICE agents beyond what is required, though officers would still notify immigration agents about alerts and "would not hold them longer than necessary so that agents could pick them up."

Whitmire voted in favor of the policy, stating that the city enforces state and local law. “We are not ICE,” he emphasized.