Three San Antonio City Council members requested a special meeting by Nov. 17 to consider an ordinance limiting police cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to a Nov. 6 memo. The proposal, citing potential changes to state mandates after the 2026 elections, would restrict ICE contact to only those already jailed on new charges or warrants with a positive NCIC hit.
Council members Teri Castillo (D5), Jalen McKee-Rodriguez (D2) and Ric Galvan (D6) signed the memo, which requests the meeting no later than 2 p.m. Nov. 17 to discuss updating San Antonio Police Department cooperation procedures with federal immigration authorities, according to the document.
The request follows an April directive from Gov. Greg Abbott, who threatened to cut approximately $200 million in public safety funding to Houston, Dallas and Austin unless those cities changed policies he said limited police cooperation with federal immigration authorities, according to KSAT.
The proposed ordinance would direct SAPD personnel to contact ICE regarding a person only if that individual is already being jailed on new charges or other warrants and has a positive National Crime Information Center hit for an ICE administrative warrant, the memo states. The ordinance specifies that a person’s immigration status, or suspicion of being subject to immigration enforcement, shall not by itself be a basis to contact ICE, prolong detention or hold any person in custody.
If a person is not otherwise going to jail on new charges or other warrants, department personnel would be prohibited from contacting ICE regarding that person, according to the proposal.
The council members cited existing state mandates requiring Texas municipalities to cooperate with ICE under threats of withheld funding, which they said “will presumably be impacted by the results of the November 3, 2026 elections,” according to the memo.
Houston Mayor John Whitmire directed police on Friday to contact ICE only when someone is arrested for a jailable offense and has an administrative ICE warrant, according to KSAT. Whitmire’s order took effect immediately, while the San Antonio City Council would need to vote to implement the proposed ordinance.
The San Antonio proposal would require council approval to take effect. City Council members have not yet announced a date for a vote on the measure.
The request comes as Texas municipalities navigate state and federal pressure regarding immigration enforcement policies. Abbott’s April threat targeted cities he accused of limiting cooperation with federal authorities, according to KSAT.
The proposed ordinance would represent a formal codification of procedures that would restrict when SAPD officers can initiate contact with ICE. Under current procedures, the department’s cooperation with federal immigration authorities has been subject to state mandates, according to the memo.
The council members’ memo does not specify what changes they anticipate following the 2026 elections, but it suggests the current state mandates could be altered, according to KSAT.
The special meeting request requires coordination with the city clerk’s office and the mayor’s office to schedule. Council members have not yet indicated whether the meeting will be held in person or virtually.
The ordinance text included in the memo provides specific language that would govern SAPD interactions with ICE. The language states that the fact a person is, or is suspected to be, subject to immigration enforcement shall not by itself be a basis to contact ICE, prolong detention, or take or hold any person in custody.
The proposal also states that if a person is not otherwise going to jail on new charges or other warrants, department personnel shall not contact ICE regarding that person, according to the memo.
The council members’ request follows similar policy discussions in other Texas cities. Houston’s new directive aligns with the proposed San Antonio ordinance in restricting ICE contact to cases involving jailable offenses with administrative warrants, according to KSAT.
