Whitmire Asserts We'll Never Have HPD/ICE Transparency Because HPD Breaking Law

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This is what happened at the City Council Public Safety committee and then Public Comment session this past Tuesday, 8/25: (You can watch the meeting. The first 15 minutes or so will convey the meeting well.)

1. Chief Diaz and another senior HPD official were supposed to come to the committee and explain the mandatory quarterly report about HPD/ICE interactions. This is the one remaining portion of the otherwise-repealed ICE ordinance.

2. Chief Diaz did not show up. Instead, a civilian HPD data manager appeared. He made a bear bones report. For most all questions from councilmembers, an attorney from the city legal department directed him not to reply.

3. The reason given for why Chief Diaz could not attend and why the data guy could not say much, is a lawsuit currently filed accusing HPD of detaining someone longer than legally and Constitutionally permitted, so that Ice could come and get him.

So because HPD is not following the law, we can't have transparency.

4. At Public Comment session later that day, Mayor Whitmire said more lawsuits were potentially on the way. You see above where he said a class action lawsuit might be on the way. That would strongly suggest that since lawsuits will be ongoing, that we will not get a quarterly report from HPD anytime soon.

So because of repeated lawbreaking by our police and city collaboration with ICE that Mayor Whitmire still insists is not taking place, we can't have transparency and the remaining portion of the ICE ordinance is effectively nullified.

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