Houston Loses State Funding In Response to Sanctuary City Revival

[Elderberry]

Texas Scorecard by Michael Quinn Sullivan April 13, 2026

Mayor Whitmire calls it a “crisis situation.”

In a statement issued late Monday afternoon, Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced that the city was facing a “crisis situation” with the loss of $110 million in state funding. Last week, the city council voted to revive sanctuary city policies for illegal aliens.

The new city policy, redefining the boundaries of its police department’s interactions with federal immigration authorities, puts Houston at odds with state law.

Whitmire said on Monday that the city was notified that Gov. Greg Abbott would be “withdrawing $110 million in public safety grants” because of the new ordinance.



More: https://texasscorecard.com/local/houston-loses-state-funding-in-response-to-sanctuary-city-revival/

[Free Vulcan]

This is the way you do it, Teddy Roosevelt style. Club these little wannabe dictators and leave them bleeding in the street.

These guys are at war with us. Time to be at war with them and finish it.

[Cyber Liberty]

You voted for the ordinance Mr. Mayor, so you can figure out what to do about the loss of revenue.

[Timber Rattler]

Kinda funny how he's trying to have it both ways...he warned the council about the financial consequences but yet voted right along with them.

Coward.

[IsailedawayfromFR]

Cities, no matter how big, are subservient to the state.

I recall the state taking over Houston ISD sometime ago due to poor management.

It can do the same to the city management if they keep this up

[Elderberry]

Houston: “We Absolutely, Positively Will Not Cooperate With ICE!” Texas: “Guess You Don’t Need This $110 Million, Then.” Houston: “Let’s Not Be Hasty.”

Lawrence Person's BattleSwarm Blog 4/15/2026

It’s amazing how quickly post-Obama Democrats went from at least pretending to care about border security to absolutely opposing deporting any illegal alien felons for any reason. Evidently nothing will prevent Democrats from treating ICE agents as the enemy.

Well, almost nothing.

It turns out that Democrats can be brought back into compliance using the universal language of politics: Money.

    Houston’s new ordinance prohibiting police from detaining suspects with administrative warrants from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) may cause the city to lose $110 million in state grants for public safety.

    In a 12 to 5 vote last week, the Houston City Council approved a proposition submitted by Council Members Alejandra Salinas, Abbie Kamin, and Ed Pollard that rescinded a previous Houston Police Department policy under which officers could detain suspects with the administrative warrants for up to 30 minutes while waiting for ICE to respond.

    On Monday, Gov. Greg Abbott’s office notified Houston Mayor John Whitmire that the city’s newly approved policy breached agreements with the state to receive certain grants for public safety purposes.

    Should the governor’s office rescind the grants, the city will be required to repay $110 million already received. Earlier this month, City Controller Chris Hollins forecast that the city will face a budget deficit of $174 million by the end of the fiscal year.

Even for a city as big as Houston, $110 million is a lot of cheddar. And lo and behold, Houston City Council appears to be changing course.

    Houston Mayor John Whitmire is calling for a repeal of a city ordinance limiting cooperation between the Houston Police Department and federal immigration authorities, just days after voting in favor of it himself, as Gov. Greg Abbott threatens to pull more than $110 million in state public safety grants.

More: https://www.battleswarmblog.com/?p=71210