Here is what the fight over the City of Houston/ICE ordinance has made clear:

1. John Whitmire believes Greg Abbott's Abbott's opinions are law.
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2. There is no prospect through the conventional political process at Houston City Hall, to mitigate to even small measure any policy or action of the federal government or State of Texas government.

3. HPD will execute any state or federal instruction without hope that John Whitmire will meaningfully object.

4. World Cup soccer games are more important to Houston City government than is fighting for our rights.

5. Please give a brief thought each day to the need to defeat Republican At-Large Councilmembers Twila Carter & Willie Davis in 2027. Tell others about how bad they are.

6. We are going to have to show up for ourselves. And we should never give up at Houston City Hall no matter the discouragement.

Above you see notice of a protest at Houston City Hall at 9 AM on Friday, 4/17. This is when the ordinance repeal meeting will be held. There is also a graphic on how to sign up to speak on Friday. You can sign up to speak until 3 PM tomorrow, 4/16.

Below is information to contact Houston City Council. The Harris County Republican Party is asking people to show up at the meeting and to call council.

Push back in the way that works for you. Please be ready challenging days ahead.

The next action is when you organize it. The 1st Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence.

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] ​​​

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Above is notice of the special session called to repeal the ICE ordinance. 

Here is what Mayor Whitmire said today: "There's only one opinion that matters, and that's the governor's."

When Abbott messes with 2026 Harris County elections as the governor has said should occur, that'll be the reply from Mayor Whitmire. Whatever the governor wants to do--That'll be fine.

No rule of law or U.S. Constitution required.

I'm going to the session to be a witness to what is taking place. Either I'll be in the chamber, or I'll be outside. Whatever. Let's have a big crowd. 

I encourage others to show up or organize in whatever way you move forward. I'm big on individuals making the decision to show up.

Let's use the fight over this ordinance, to build our own capacity to show up for ourselves in the challenging days ahead.

Here is contact information for Mayor Whitmire & Council. Please tell them how you feel. Martha Castex-Tatum is a citywide officials as Mayor Pro Tem. Be sure to include her in your efforts--

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] ​​​

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​I'm signed up to speak at Houston City Council for public comment next Tuesday, 4/14.

I'm not certain what I'm going to say. But I know I'm going to clearly thank Salinas, Kamin & Pollard for leading on the ICE ordinance. (Above you see the 3/19 press conference announcing the ICE ordinance.)

We can't ask these folks to stick their necks out--Whether bluster or not, the Attorney General of Texas is saying they could lose their seats over this--and then not back them up. 

The groups that endorsed the ordinance--Some moved to neutral after the one provision was struck by the city attorney. I disagreed with that move.--need to have the flexibility and ability to defend hard-won gains at Council.

The non-safety traffic stop issue still needs to be addressed. You see the extent of the push back just to this watered-down ordinance. Any hope of getting to non-safety traffic stops will require defending what was just obtained. The nine votes to end City of Houston non-safety traffic stops are not there today.

You can e-mail Houston City Council over the weekend. Thank the Democrats who voted yes--it was all of them--and Republican Ramirez as well. Tell Council that HPD needs to enforce the ordinance & that elected officials run city government rather than HPD, the police union and Paul Bettencourt.

The work ahead is ours. We need to show up for others doing the right thing and we need to show up for ourselves.

The next action is when your organize it. The 1st Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence.
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Here is information on following and interacting with Houston City Council--
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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] ​​​
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​This afternoon, 4/10, I listened to far-right extremist State Senator Paul Bettencourt and two other bad people, interview Attorney General Ken Paxton on one of the local hate radio stations about the recently passed City of Houston/ICE ordinance.

It was a show called "The Amigos." It was a terrible program. You see the show above.

Here are my notes from things Paxton said:
“ ….Out of control cities”
“ We will absolutely stop them from doing this”
He said Democrats do things like this to win elections with undocumented voters.
He said our elected officials can be removed from office. He made a threat to do so.
He agreed with a question from a host that we are blocking all cooperation with ICE. This is not correct.
“It is pretty clear the city is violating state law.”
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We as a city can't even have the least bit of autonomy from cruel and authoritarian federal policy? Our elected officials are apparently going to be threatened with removal if they try.

The Houston Chronicle reported this morning that HPD put out a memo saying don't yet enforce the new ordinance. My understanding is the ordinance is supposed to take effect Monday. But the Chronicle reported that there was no timeline in the memo.

Who runs city government? Is it our municipal elected officials, or is it HPD and the police union working with Paul Bettencourt and Ken Paxton?

Paxton's answers again hold the prospect of interference in Harris County elections. The right asserts we win with illegal votes.

The work ahead is ours. We need a culture and a capacity of rapid response and fully grassroots action. We can't be dependent of advocacy groups that answer to donors first, or on elected officials who are rarely reliable allies in a tough spot.

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. 

Here is a KUHF story about the ordinance. 

​I was out on the Dunlavy Bridge over 59 in Montrose today. 

Here are two pictures. There were many appreciative reactions from motorists.It's important people see others willing to stand for freedom. 

There is a weekly protest at this location every Friday from 3:30 to 5. 

The next action is when you organize it. The 1st Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence.

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​I'm the speaker at the Bayou Blue Democrats meeting, tomorrow, Wednesday, 4/8. The meeting is 6:30 PM-8 PM at 1800 Sul Ross.

As always when I speak, the theme will be "Empowering Ourselves.” I’ll discuss protest in the Houston-region. I’ll also talk about the ICE/HPD ordinance now before Houston City Council.

Bayou Blue Democrats serves Midtown, Montrose, Washington Ave Corridor, River Oaks, Upper Kirby and Memorial Park.

I've spoken at Democratic club, Indivisible chapter, No Kings Organizing meetings and No Kings protests across Houston & Harris County & also in Montgomery, Brazoria and Fort Bend counties. (Please someone invite me to Galveston County.)

This is all part of my work on the Houston Democracy Project.

I'd be happy to speak to your club, organization or organizing meeting. I seek to be informational & engaging. Please message me here or e-mail at [email protected]

Also, there was a good crew today for Week 478 of the John Cornyn Houston Office Protest. It is essential that we show up for ourselves and that others see people showing up for all of us. You see today's Cornyn Protest group picture above. The protest is each Tuesday, 11:30-1, 5300 Memorial Dr. 

The next action is when you organize it. The 1st Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. You don't need to feel self-confident to proceed. Voting is not going to be enough.

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There was extensive public comment at Houston City Council Tuesday, 3/31, about the ordinance proposed by Councilmembers Alejandra Salinas, Ed Pollard & Abbie Kamin regarding how the City Of Houston interacts with ICE. Above you see a Houstonian speaking at the session. 

Here is an account of the meeting from NPR KUHF.  Here is the video of the meeting from HTV. The comments begin at around the 6 minute 30 second point of the video. Here is the text of the ordinance so you can speak to it directly. Here is a letter you can sign to show support. 

Here is what Councilmember Salinas says the ordinance as originally proposed would accomplish:

• HPD won't be required to contact ICE for civil administrative warrants
• Traffic stops end when their lawful purpose ends — not when ICE arrives
• Transparency reports on HPD's contact with ICE

However, Houston City Attorney Arturo Michel has ruled that the first provision is not legal and it has been struck from the proposal now before Council. All three of the councilmembers who proposed the ordinance are lawyers and Ms. Kamin is the Democratic nominee for Harris County Attorney. 

Some say that Mr. Michel is an unelected political actor in addition to his role as city attorney. For example, it came out at a recent council committee session , and at the Agenda Session of Council on Wednesday, 4/1, that the city has lost an arbitration case to the right-wing firefighters union as part of the ongoing aftershocks of the irresponsible budget-busting firefighters contract.

Questions to Mr. Michel by councilmembers revealed that this arbitration decision was made a few weeks ago and was never shared with our elected city council. In part due to Mayor Whitmire's mismanagement of city finances, the city is facing substantial fiscal deficits. Information about this adverse arbitration decision should not have been withheld from council & city staff should be serving the city rather than the mayor's political agenda. 

Some observations from the comment session: 

* Many Houstonians were frustrated that the original ordinance was diluted.
* Many called for non-safety traffic stops to also be addressed. Ms. Salinas said she would work on that in the future. She also said she will work to get the provision struck from the ordinance back before council. 
* The hope of future progress will be very much dented if Nick Hellyar replaces Abbie Kamin in District C. Remind a District C voter you know that Election Day is Saturday, April 4 and to reject Republican-friendly Nick Hellyar. 
* There were some speakers against the ordinance. They were really sour apples. 
* The ordinance will be voted on at council on Wednesday, April 8. 
* Ms. Salinas is clearly working hard to build a coalition of support to get this passed. 

I'll also add that if a majority-Democrat council in the most diverse city in America can't approve this watered-down ordinance after so many accounts of abuse by ICE, just what is it they will respond to? 

Trump recently issued an executive order messing with mail ballots and telling states to send eligible voter lists to the so-called Department of Justice. No matter how that stands up in court, we know the confusion and doubt the order is intended to create. Governor Abbott has already said 2026 Harris County elections should be taken over by the state. 

If Houston city officials can't even take some intermediate steps to regulate ICE, what confidence can we have that they would meaningfully address voter suppression by our authoritarian, white supremacist state and federal governments? 

The work ahead is ours. The next action is when you organize it. The 1st Amendment is your permit. The only credential needed is your presence. The conventional political process at city hall or in the legislative chamber will not be enough. 

Below is information to contact Houston City Council the ICE ordinance, or about any matter you care about. Be in the habit of contacting council & be prepared to advocate for yourself in the difficult days ahead. 

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] ​​​
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