Report On Whitmire Press Conference On ICE Killing In Houston/We'll Have To Keep On Him & Council

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​Regarding Mayor Whitmire’s ICE press conference today, 7/10:

1. Our rank & file leadership as Houstonians compelled Whitmire to speak much differently than he did at council on Wednesday. Thanks to everyone who has attended a protest or spoken up in someway. 

The next action is when you organize it. The First Amendment is your permit. The work ahead is ours. 

2. We should recall who spoke strongly right off at Council on Wednesday. It was Salinas, Panzerella & Pollard. The four who voted against repeal of the ICE ordinance in April were Pollard, Thomas, Salinas & then-member Kamin. 

Repeal of the ICE ordinance expanded HPD cooperation with ICE because it lifted the 30 minute time HPD could hold someone for an administrative immigration warrant. Now there is no time limit. Voting for the repeal were Castillo, Peck, Jackson, Flickinger, Davis, Alcorn, Martinez, Castex-Tatum, Huffman, Evans-Shabazz, Carter, Ramirez & Whitmire. 

3. Whitmire talked about an independent investigation many times in the press conference. He also said many times that it was a federal matter. We’ll have to keep on him & council. Mayor Whitmire is shifty. Just weeks ago regarding ICE, Mayor Whitmire said Governor Abbott's opinion was the only one that mattered. 

4. Whitmire was critical of ICE. I don’t believe he likes ICE or Trump. In some ways it’s like being Mayor Turner when covid or Hurricane Harvey arrives. Though Mayor Whitmire has opposed his scourges with less vigor. 

5. All the people Whitmire had with him at the press conference were full Whitmire-loyalists. No Republicans though. Mayor Whitmire spoke a lot today about “unity.” I’m looking for some Republican “unity” on opposing ICE. 

6. You can watch the press conference yourself. The more each of us know, the more powerful we all are. It starts near the 12 minute mark of the video & lasts just over 40 minutes.

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