​At the Wednesday, 2/25, Houston City Council agenda session, there was an item about the city purchasing election security and training services. It was item 12. From the city description of the item: 

"The Director of the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland Security and the Chief Procurement
Officer recommend that City Council approve spending authority in the amount of $209,941.29, for the
purchase election security training and exercise consulting services from The CNA Corporation, through
the HGACBuy Cooperative for a six month period for the Mayor’s Office of Public Safety and Homeland
Security....The Election Security Training and Exercise consulting services will enhance the region’s election security capabilities through the development and delivery of comprehensive lecture series, seminars, and
interactive workshops."

​Republican Houston City Councilmember Julian Ramirez spoke about item 12. You see him in his comments above. He said we are getting this money from the federal government for election security. He said these concerns might involve weather, cyber threats or an active shooter. What Councilmember Ramirez left off his list of threats was the federal government itself under Donald Trump, his own Republican Party and himself as an active Republican partisan.
​
The other five Republicans on Houston City Council are Twila Carter, Willie Davis, Amy Peck, Mary Nan Huffman and Fred Flickinger. They are also threats to election security. 

It's being reported that Trump is considering an executive order that would seize control of midterm elections on the lie that China rigged the outcome of the 2020 election. Governor Abbott has called for the State of Texas to take over Harris County elections. 

Councilmember Ramirez and his Republican colleagues will stop being threats to election security when they demand the Republican Party change course on attacking democracy, or when they decide to leave the party. 

We keep normalizing these people and going on with business as usual. Republican Houston City Councilmembers are working to take our freedom no different than Republican officeholders elsewhere. And then there is the brutality of ICE that they also support and enable. 

Democratic members of Houston City Council need to speak up and have our backs. We need to demand that they do so. If you made the decision to run for office during the time of an authoritarian threat, then you need to accept the responsibility you signed up for. 

Public comment time at Houston City Council is each Tuesday at 2 PM with the exception once each month when it is at 5:00 PM. Here is how you can speak at Council and here is how to contact your councilmember.  The earlier before the session you sign up, the higher up on the speaker's list you'll be. You must register to speak by 3 PM the day before. 

The agenda session to conduct Council business is each Wednesday at 9 AM. The agenda is posted in advance. Council can be watched live on HTV Houston Television and past sessions are available at any time on the HTV feed on Facebook. Here is the link to past sessions of Council. Here are maps of Council districts so you can see who represents you. 

Here is contact information for Mayor Whitmire & Council--

Mayor Whitmire—832-393-1000 [email protected] 

Democrats: 
At-Large-Alejandra Salinas 832-393-3012  [email protected]
At-Large-Sallie Alcorn 832-393-3017  [email protected]
District B-Tarsha Jackson 832-393-3009  [email protected]
District C-Abbie Kamin 832-393-3004  [email protected]
District D-Carolyn Evans-Shabazz 832-393-3001 [email protected]
District F-Tiffany Thomas 832-393-3002  [email protected]
District H-Mario Castillo 832-393-3002  [email protected]
District I-Joaquin Martinez 832-393-3011 [email protected]
District J-Edward Pollard 832-393-3015  [email protected]
District K-Martha Castex-Tatum 832-393-3016  [email protected]

Republicans: 
At-Large-Julian Ramirez 832-393-3014 [email protected]
At-Large-Willie Davis 832-393-3013 [email protected] 
At-Large-Twila Carter 832-393-3005 [email protected]
District A-Amy Peck 832-393-3010 [email protected]
District E-Fred Flickinger 832-393-3008 [email protected] 
District G-Mary Nan Huffman 832-393-3007 [email protected] ​​

​There was more discussion of ICE & HPD at the Wednesday, 2/18, public comment session of Houston City Council. 

Five people came to Council to say they want HPD to work with ICE. All five were unpleasant. The full conversation runs for the hour 29 minute point to 2 hour 33 minutes of the HTV simulcast of the meeting. I would not watch it though. I watched it so you did not have to. You should send me a contribution for having endured it. See the link above to do so. 

The first speaker was a Michelle Bouchard who is a candidate for Harris County Republican Chair. You see her below. She praised how calm and orderly the deportations in Houston are going. She said she was glad we are not having trouble like in Minnesota. That's the same thing Mayor Whitmire says. It's offensive. It places blame on people rather than pushing back against the federal occupiers. You really have to be a lousy person to go with all that. The absence of solidarity with people doing the right thing is bad. 

Responding to the comments, Republican Councilmember Twila Carter praised the ICE-supporters for speaking in a respectful manner without cursing. She was referencing recent public comment sessions where Houstonians spoke emphatically in opposition to city cooperation with ICE. You see Ms. Carter in her comments below. 

Imagine supporting a 34 time felon named thousands of times in the Epstein files for President and having no concerns for Houstonians rounded up by ICE and being sent to terrible detention/concentration camps, and then talking to people about "respect" and cursing. Where do you get a value system like that?

Democratic Councilmember Carolyn Evans-Shabazz has been vocal about ICE in recent weeks. You see her above. She made some additional separate comments at the end of the meeting at the 3 hour point. She discussed historical wrongs of slavery and how ICE is treating people today. She said white women working together could be of use in addressing the cruelty of ICE.

You see Ms. Carter is sitting right next to Ms. Evans-Shabazz. She is looking directly at Coucilmember Evans-Shabazz. So you know she heard the comments. I'm hoping Councilmember Carter has over the past week reflected on her course and will step away from wickedness. 

It's important to know that Twila Carter is on the ballot for re-election as an At-Large Councilmember in 2027 and she should be defeated. Tell people you know this fact. 

I don't have much positive to say today about Houston City Council other we have to keep on them. What I believe at core is that the fight ahead is ours. The next action or event is when you organize it. The First Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. Mayor Whitmire and Council are tools to remind us we must organize ourselves.  We will press them and press them because they are our elected employees and we will hold them to account. I don't know what the outcome of that work will be. I do know that we can control our own course & that if we don't stand up for ourselves we will be cooked.  

Here is information about interacting with Houston City Council--

Public comment time at Houston City Council is each Tuesday at 2 PM with the exception once each month when it is at 5:00 PM. Here is how you can speak at Council and here is how to contact your councilmember.  The earlier before the session you sign up, the higher up on the speaker's list you'll be. You must register to speak by 3 PM the day before. 

The agenda session to conduct Council business is each Wednesday at 9 AM. The agenda is posted in advance. Council can be watched live on HTV Houston Television and past sessions are available at any time on the HTV feed on Facebook. Here is the link to past sessions of Council. Here are maps of Council districts so you can see who represents you. 

Here is contact information for Mayor Whitmire & Council--

Mayor Whitmire—832-393-1000 [email protected] 

Democrats: 
At-Large-Alejandra Salinas 832-393-3012  [email protected]
At-Large-Sallie Alcorn 832-393-3017  [email protected]
District B-Tarsha Jackson 832-393-3009  [email protected]
District C-Abbie Kamin 832-393-3004  [email protected]
District D-Carolyn Evans-Shabazz 832-393-3001 [email protected]
District F-Tiffany Thomas 832-393-3002  [email protected]
District H-Mario Castillo 832-393-3002  [email protected]
District I-Joaquin Martinez 832-393-3011 [email protected]
District J-Edward Pollard 832-393-3015  [email protected]
District K-Martha Castex-Tatum 832-393-3016  [email protected]

Republicans: 
At-Large-Julian Ramirez 832-393-3014 [email protected]
At-Large-Willie Davis 832-393-3013 [email protected] 
At-Large-Twila Carter 832-393-3005 [email protected]
District A-Amy Peck 832-393-3010 [email protected]
District E-Fred Flickinger 832-393-3008 [email protected] 
District G-Mary Nan Huffman 832-393-3007 [email protected] ​​

​Above you see word of a protest in Conroe on Saturday, 2/28. I plan on being there. The event has some momentum and will have a good attendance. 

The organizing groups are We Rise Up in Montgomery County and the Cypress-Tomball Democrats. Here is the Mobilize link to learn more details and say that you'll attend. 

Here is how the event is described:

​Cypress-Tomball Democrats of Harris County are joining with We Rise Up to protest the inhumane treatment of people in the high-capacity Joe Corley ICE Detention Center in Conroe, TX. 

Detainees are held without full rights (not enough access to attorneys, phone calls out, etc.) and they are in a WINDOWLESS facility with ZERO access to the outdoors 24/7. In early January, a man died while in custody at this facility.

More of these facilities are rising up across our county and we need to protest the ones here and the new ones planned. 

Join us as we share our message from the pedestrian-friendly sidewalks on the North Loop 336 bridge at I-45.

Montgomery County has had an active and hopeful protest scene in the 2nd Trump term. 

CY-Tom Democrats are a large productive club in Harris County that does a lot of electoral work. They also see the need for protest. I recently wrote about a Democratic club president in Harris County who called me to discuss starting a regular protest in addition to the electoral work they are doing. 

We are building our own infrastructure of opposition, communication, self-protection and action outside conventional political channels. The March 28 No Kings protests across the Houston-region, Texas and the nation will be another round of organizing for us. Here is the link to find a No Kings protest near you. More being added all the time. You can organize one yourself. 

The next action is when you organize it. The First Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence.

Voting is not going to be enough. Harris County Democratic clubs are clearly sending this message--Voting is essential, but it is not going to be enough.  

​

​I took a picture today of the sun setting over Houston. You see the picture above. Photogrqphy is part 
of the Houston Democracy Project.

I've been hanging out at the West Gray Multiservice Center watching people vote and talking to candidates and elected officials & also watching the Winter Olympics. I like the Olympics because they are intellectually interesting without being stressful. 

I'm off my routines which I wager is healthy. You can't do the same stuff all the time.

Below are the results of the first-ever screening process of the Houston Progressive Caucus. I spent a bunch of hours on the process. We did our best. It was a learning experience in many ways. Please consider the selections. Early voting runs through the 27th and primary election day is March 3.

​Last week I had a phone call with someone long-active in Democratic club politics here in Harris County. This person is an officer in their local club. They told me that in addition to working on 2026 elections, some in the club want to begin a weekly or bi-weekly protest. We talked about what that might involve. 

The bottom line as always: The next action is when you organize it. The First Amendment is your permit.  The only credential needed is your presence. 

Voting is essential. But as people are seeing clearly--It is not going to be enough. 

I wrote recently about a man who has walked by the John Cornyn Houston Office Protest almost every week for at least five years, who only in the past two weeks has decided to join. 

There are more and more people getting involved in protest and in forming networks outside conventional politics. I see it anecdotally and I see more events listed all across the Houston-region. 

(Above-Photo by Lelia Navidi of the Minnesota Star-Tribune. The woman in the robe is also a journalist. She is Sam Stroozas of Minnesota Public Radio. )

The opposition to the federal occupation of Minnesota has clearly been an example and an inspiration. 

I've been following a group on Facebook called Twin Cities Geeks. It has a lot of local action and reaction to the ICE invasion. Sean Snow posts each day there and on his own page about ICE in the Minneapolis-area.Below is part of an update posted today, 2/16, by Mr. Snow: 

Today is Monday February 16, 2026, here’s what happened yesterday in Minnesota:

1. Executive Blackout and Defense of Anonymous Force: In a coordinated message on Face the Nation yesterday, Border Czar Tom Homan signaled that the federal presence in Minneapolis will be indefinite, opaque, and unaccountable. Homan again confirmed our earlier reported story that a "small force" will remain to "manage agitators" while explicitly defending the removal of name tapes and the use of masks to protect agents from "threats." With the ongoing government shutdown suspending congressional oversight visits, this official support for "secret police" tactics creates a dangerous "blackout" zone at the Whipple Building where executive enforcement can continue without legislative checks or identification.

2. Car Trouble Lure Trap Confirmed: In a disturbing revelation yesterday, the family of Jesus Flores in Columbia Heights shared security footage confirming that ICE agents staged a fake car breakdown to lure the father out of his home. The video shows agents pretending to have engine trouble in his driveway. When Flores came out to help, he was immediately detained, confirming that agents are using Good Samaritan impulses as tactical bait.

3. Guardian Exposes Psychological Siege and Sovereignty Violations: A harrowing report published yesterday by The Guardian detailed the dual reality of the federal occupation in the Phillips neighborhood. Agents are reportedly refusing to accept Tribal IDs, which are valid federal documents, effectively treating Indigenous residents as foreigners on their own land. This legal erasure has created a "psychological siege" for families, with parents describing de facto house arrest and children too terrified to play near windows, instead filming agents from behind curtains.

4. County Attorney Demands Evidence: Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty sent a formal demand letter to the DOJ and DHS yesterday, accusing federal agencies of stonewalling the investigation into the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good. Moriarty revealed that her office has been forced to investigate the fatal shootings "without federal assistance" because agents have refused to turn over body cam footage or ballistic evidence.

​This is solid rank & file work. It is being done everyday. Each of us are leaders in the difficult days ahead. We are capable of so much in the difficult days ahead. 

​





​Above you see Harris County Commissioner Leslie Briones announcing that Harris County is suing the federal government for putting the people at risk by decimating FEMA. 

(Commissioner Briones has still not apologized for signing on to the insulting letter from the Whitmire team, regarding the justified admonishment of the Mayor by Harris County Democratic Precinct Chairs. It's never the role of elected officials to be in the business of the active rank & file.)

From NPR KUHF on 2/11:

" In a series of other statements on Wednesday, Harris County commissioners Lesley Briones, Rodney Ellis and Adrian Garcia supported efforts to halt mass layoffs at the agency. Though previous court orders temporarily blocked widespread federal layoffs, those protections are expiring, and terminations already began at the end of last year. More than 10,000 FEMA positions are expected to be eliminated in the coming months, according to the county attorney’s office. ...“Dismantling FEMA risks the health and safety of millions of people along the Gulf Coast, especially in the face of devastating hurricanes, winter storms, and other extreme weather events,” Ellis said in a statement. “I’m proud that Harris County is standing up to an out-of-control White House whose misguided mass layoffs will harm workers and endanger our entire community.”

​I'm glad the county is suing on this important matter. What I don't grasp is how Harris County can risk angering Trump on this issue, but Mayor Whitmire says we can't have any official response to the ethnic cleansing of ICE. The Houston Police Department cooperates with ICE. 

There is seemingly nothing that will get John Whitmire to stand up to the state and federal government. Not ICE. Not the evident reality of Houstonians being sent to the immigration concentration camps being built in Houston. Not the prospect of Republicans stealing our Harris County elections. 

We know however that local officials can oppose Trump's actions. We see an example right here. 

Whitmire's refusal to acknowledge what is clearly taking place-and the refusal of Houston City Council to ask better of him-makes it clear that opposition and self-defense here in Houston will have to come from each of us. 

The next action is when you organize it. The First Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. The work ahead is ours. We've seen that in Minnesota in the self-organized networks that oppose ICE and in South Korea is December, 2024 when citizens successfully took to the streets to overturn martial law. 

​Thank you to the high school students across the Houston-region and Texas who have been walking out of school to protest ICE. 

They've done so despite threats from the State of Texas and pressure from school administrators. 

From Houston NPR KUHF on 2/10:

"Texas Education Agency Commissioner Mike Morath set serious consequences last week for students, teachers and staff who "participate in inappropriate political activism.”...The consequences for students, teachers and districts for facilitating walkouts include loss of attendance-based funding if students are not properly marked absent, teacher investigations that could result in the loss of their license and school system investigations with sanctions that include a state takeover of the district."

From myRGV.com reported from Edinburg on 2/6:

"A small but passionate group of Edinburg Robert Vela High School students participated in a walkout Friday afternoon, joining a group of demonstrators across the street from the campus to protest against Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s deportation efforts...Several of these students were suspended as a result. The group of around 15 people gathered across from Vela High School with anti-ICE signs, Mexican flags and signs defending freedom of speech Friday afternoon...Among the consequences are students being marked as absent, schools risking daily attendance funding if they allow or encourage students to walk out of class, and being subjected to investigation and sanction — including implementing a board of managers if schools facilitate walkouts....According to the Edinburg CISD spokesperson, Lisa Ayala, two Vela students were suspended earlier in the day because they left campus while the other students will face disciplinary action."

If my father could be a Korean War combat medic at age 20, it is fine for good young people to walk out of class at 16 or whatever. They'll be fine. They all merit an A+. 

​With this post are two notices for school walkouts taken from the Facebook page Alianza Latina Internacional. This page is a good resource for ICE sightings in the Houston-area and word of anti-ICE protests. One walkout shown here is in Cypress and the other is in Alvin.

These school walkout protests are self-organized and autonomous, have no financial resources and involve accepting a measure of risk. 

This is just the program. 

The next action is when you organize it, the First Amendment is your permit, the only credential needed is your presence.

The work ahead is ours in the difficult days ahead. 

​

​​Today was Week 470 of the John Cornyn Houston Office Protest. You see our weekly group picture below. We meet each Tuesday, 11:30-1, 5300 Memorial Dr. We are friendly and have extra signs for all. Or bring a sign that works for you. 

The next action or event is when you organize it. The First Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. 

The gentleman you see above takes a noontime walk past the Cornyn Protest most every Tuesday. I’d say he’s walked by for at least 5 years. He never reacted much & we left him be which is all good. Last week he just came up & grabbed a sign. He joined us again today.

You never know. 

We are out running our own actions and meeting the people we'll be able to count on in the challenging days ahead. 

​






There was further discussion this week at Houston City Council about HPD/ICE & the prospect of an ordinance that would restrict non-safety traffic stops by HPD.

People should not be referred to ICE by HPD from an interaction that starts with being pulled over for a tinted window. 

This discussion was at the Tuesday, 2/3, Public Comment Session of Council. 

First up on Tuesday were 5 or 6 people who were denied the right to speak at Council last week because the city posted the wrong time for the meeting, and Mayor Whitmire still would not let them talk. Public comment was also given by Keith Porter Sr. Mr. Porter, who lives in Houston, is the father of Keith Porter Jr. who was killed in Los Angeles by an off duty ICE agent. Mr. Porter speaks at the 1 hour 16 minute point of the meeting. 

Here is an account of the energetic public comment session last week & here is an account of the Wednesday agenda session last week. HPD/ICE was a big topic at both meetings. 

There was a presentation at council Tuesday from lawyers and advocates from a non-profit group that has drafted an ordnance about the traffic stops. If you want the specifics, the testimony of attorney Kirsten Budwine from the Texas Civil Rights Project will be helpful. Her time runs from the hour 45 minute point until 2 hours 10 minutes. Ms. Budwine and her colleagues have done good work. 

Above you see Ms. Budwine in her words. 

There was reference to the fact that work on the non-safety traffic stops had been going on for some time now, and had received impetus from Councilmembers Tiffany Thomas and Ed Pollard. There was focus on racial disparities in these stops. Now also we have ICE. I hope Council can find the votes to act based on all the many reasons to proceed. 

Ms. Budwine was told during her talk by Councilmembers Julian Ramirez and Pollard, that they thought what she was proposing would contradict State of Texas law. I refer you to the video again for specifics. 

If council finds it has no legal course to address ICE, then there are still things individual councilmembers can do. 

They could: 
​
1. Convert unused campaign $ or raise $ for mutual aid funds for Houstonians made vulnerable by ICE & Houstonians resisting ICE.

2. Offer city-sponsored self defense courses for Houstonians that could include-though not limited to- training to be able to use our 2nd Amendment freedoms. Or at least some type of citizen self-defense as we face violent and lawless state and federal governments. 

3. Ask tough questions not only about HPD working with ICE, but also about if HPD would assist the state & feds in altering local election results & suspending civil liberties. We deserve protection from the state and federal government.

I'm certain there are other good ideas as well. It's not a stretch to say that these times require new approaches. These people are our elected employees. We can ask them anything we want. 

Councilmember Alejandra Salinas won her recent election in good part because she said she would oppose ICE in Houston, stand up for democracy and oppose Mayor Whitmire when required. Attorney Salinas said she's was interested in how the city could use its legal powers to address ICE. If that avenue is a dead end, she'll have to come up with a new approach to meet her promises. 

There were multiple references to the Houston Police Officer's Union in the discussion. You are not going to believe this--But they oppose the traffic stop idea. (That's a joke.)

Below you see a recent Twitter exchange between a local urbanist and transportation activist and Houston Police Officer's Union boss Douglas Griffith. Mr. Griffith thinks protesters are paid. It's just so stupid.

If HPD itself wants to come and offer viewpoints on city policy--Then fine. HPD needs to be heard and police officers should be seen as individuals. But a hard right union that endorsed many ICE-loving Republicans, and has a President who despite all the resources of HPD has no grasp of the local protest and activist scene, is not a useful partner.  

At bottom line, the work ahead is ours. We'll continue to press Council and to organize ourselves. I don't know if we'll ever get this council to show any real courage or do something other than blame others for why they can't act. I do know that we can organize ourselves like we've seen in Minnesota or with the many school walkouts protesting ICE that we've seen across the Houston-region. Keep fighting at Houston City Council & get to know the people fighting along side you. We are all going to need each other. 

The next action or event is when you organize it. The First Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. 

Here is information on following & interacting with Houston City Council:

​Public comment time at Houston City Council is each Tuesday at 2 PM with the exception once each month when it is at 5:00 PM. Here is how you can speak at Council and here is how to contact your councilmember.  The earlier before the session you sign up, the higher up on the speaker's list you'll be. You must register to speak by 3 PM the day before. 

The agenda session to conduct Council business is each Wednesday at 9 AM. The agenda is posted in advance. Council can be watched live on HTV Houston Television and past sessions are available at any time on the HTV feed on Facebook. Here is the link to past sessions of Council. Here are maps of Council districts so you can see who represents you. 

Here is contact information for Mayor Whitmire & Council--

Mayor Whitmire—832-393-1000 [email protected] 

Democrats: 
At-Large-Alejandra Salinas 832-393-3012  [email protected]
At-Large-Sallie Alcorn 832-393-3017  [email protected]
District B-Tarsha Jackson 832-393-3009  [email protected]
District C-Abbie Kamin 832-393-3004  [email protected]
District D-Carolyn Evans-Shabazz 832-393-3001 [email protected]
District F-Tiffany Thomas 832-393-3002  [email protected]
District H-Mario Castillo 832-393-3002  [email protected]
District I-Joaquin Martinez 832-393-3011 [email protected]
District J-Edward Pollard 832-393-3015  [email protected]
District K-Martha Castex-Tatum 832-393-3016  [email protected]

Republicans: 
At-Large-Julian Ramirez 832-393-3014 [email protected]
At-Large-Willie Davis 832-393-3013 [email protected] 
At-Large-Twila Carter 832-393-3005 [email protected]
District A-Amy Peck 832-393-3010 [email protected]
District E-Fred Flickinger 832-393-3008 [email protected] 
District G-Mary Nan Huffman 832-393-3007 [email protected] ​​