Houston police must notify ICE about deportation orders

Houston police have received new instructions to contact federal immigration authorities when they encounter individuals with deportation orders in the national crime database. This change follows the addition of 700,000 deportation orders to the database by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Previously, local law enforcement did not have access to these administrative warrants. Now, if officers find an ICE detainer during a stop, they must notify ICE or the relevant agency. This policy has raised concerns among immigrant advocates about its impact on community trust. The updated guidance comes after a recent incident where police called ICE on an undocumented immigrant for a minor traffic violation. Critics argue that this could lead to increased vulnerability for undocumented individuals in the Houston area.