Sanctuary city backs off after GOP governor put it in ‘crisis’ mode with $110 million threat

By Fox News · Fox News

The Democrat-majority Houston City Council backed off a sanctuary-style policy limiting cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after Texas GOP Gov. Greg Abbott threatened to remove more than $110 million in state funding, forcing the city to reverse course under financial pressure. This is the latest clash in a broader battle between state leaders and local officials over immigration enforcement. The Houston City Council voted earlier this month to pass a policy eliminating the requirement that police wait at least 30 minutes for ICE to arrive when a suspect has an immigration warrant. The move was condemned by Abbott, who accused the council of "trying to renege on their obligations" after signing onto a public safety agreement to receive state funding that required cooperation with immigration enforcement through the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. Abbott set a Wednesday deadline for the city to repeal its new policy or refund the state more than $110 million. WATCH: HOUSTON FACES $110M HIT AS TEXAS GOV LAYS DOWN LAW ON 'SANCTUARY' POLICIES On Wednesday, the city council, at the urging of Democrat Mayor John Whitmire, overwhelmingly voted to soften the policy. The city removed strict limits that barred officers from prolonging stops for ICE-related purposes. It also allows officers to extend detentions if they cited another legitimate law enforcement reason. The amended policy passed in a 13-4 vote after hours of tense debate among council members. In response, a spokesperson for Abbott called the vote a "step in the right direction" in the face of the city’s "reckless policies," saying they undermined law enforcement. This comes after Abbott said last week that city officials would face "extraordinarily difficult financial choices" if they did not back down. "Let’s be clear about a couple things," Abbott said last week, "If the city council were serious about public safety, they would not allow illegal immigrants to roam their stre…