HOUSTON – Immigrant advocates and the Harris County District Attorney are warning that fear of immigration enforcement could make some undocumented crime victims and witnesses less likely to report crimes to police.
Those concerns are renewed after Immigration and Customs Enforcement detained a shooting witness who had called 911 and remained at a Home Depot in on Bellaire Boulevard in Alief on Sunday, to help Houston police identify the suspected shooter.
Harris County District Attorney Sean Teare says there is anecdotal evidence that some victims and witnesses are becoming hesitant to contact law enforcement.
“We’ve seen calls for service for domestic violence, for aggravated robbery, for a lot of the really dangerous crimes out there fall off a cliff,” Teare said.
Teare also criticized what he described as the tactics of ICE, saying fear of immigration consequences can affect whether people feel safe reporting crimes.
For immigrant advocates, the concern goes beyond individual cases.
Cesar Espinoza, director of FIEL, said the city needs to be clear about how Houston police interact with federal immigration authorities.
“The city has to come forward. Mayor Whitmire has to, once and for all, delineate whether ICE is collaborating with HPD,” Espinoza said.
Houston says it does not interact with ICE
KPRC’s Joy Addison reached out to Mayor John Whitmire’s Office of Communications with questions about whether Houston police share information about crime victims or witnesses with ICE, whether HPD notifies ICE when undocumented people report crimes, and whether the city has any formal agreement or policy governing cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
The mayor’s office said the city does not interact with ICE.
In a statement, the Mayor John Whitmire’s Office of Communications said:
“The City of Houston does not interact with ICE. The Houston Police Department is a municipal law enforcement agency that enforces local ordinances and state laws. HPD does not enforce immigration laws.”
The statement does not specifically address whether information about crime victims or witnesses is ever shared with federal immigration authorities, or how the city explains individual cases in which ICE becomes involved after someone has interacted with HPD.
For immigrant advocates, those questions remain central to whether people feel safe contacting police.
Espinoza said he worries that fear could leave witnesses silent after violent crimes.
He pointed to the recent killing of Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in Magnolia Park as an example, saying advocates believe there may be additional witnesses who have information but are too afraid to speak with police.
“They’re so afraid to talk,” Espinoza said.
What protections are available?
Immigration attorney Ruby Powers said there is also confusion surrounding protections available to undocumented crime victims and witnesses.
One common misconception involves the U visa, which can provide immigration protections to certain victims of qualifying crimes who suffered substantial harm and helped law enforcement with an investigation or prosecution.
Simply witnessing a crime, however, does not automatically make an undocumented person eligible.
In limited circumstances, witnesses may qualify, Powers said, but eligibility can depend on the specific circumstances and certification from the appropriate law enforcement agency or other qualifying authority.
“For the most part, you don’t have the same protections if you’re a witness,” Powers said.
Powers advises clients seeking immigration status to cooperate with law enforcement when appropriate, but she acknowledges that doing so can come with concerns about unintended immigration consequences.
For immigrant advocates and prosecutors, the larger concern is what happens when fear prevents people from calling 911, speaking with investigators or coming forward with information about violent crimes.
They say building trust between immigrant communities and local law enforcement is critical not only for those communities, but for public safety across Harris County.