The State of Texas has announced its intention to withdraw $110 million in public safety grants from the City of Houston following the recent approval of the “Proposition A” Ordinance concerning immigration. This decision was communicated by Houston Mayor John Whitmire, who indicated that the ordinance is believed to breach the agreements established between the state and the city regarding grant funding.
The state’s action comes on the heels of a letter from Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, who initiated an investigation to determine whether the ordinance contravenes Senate Bill 4.
In a letter addressed to Mayor Whitmire, Governor Greg Abbott stated, “This letter serves to notify you that this new ordinance, Section 34-41 of the Houston Code of Ordinances, is in breach of your April 15, 2025, certification and imperils all grant agreements between the City and the Public Safety Office (PSO) for Fiscal Year 2026. Please respond by April 20, 2026, to confirm that the City will not enforce, and will repeal, the ordinance. Failure to do so may result in PSO exercising its sole discretion to terminate all such grants.” He further noted that the city has received approximately $110 million in PSO grants for the fiscal year and would be obligated to repay the full amount if termination occurs.
Mayor Whitmire expressed grave concerns over the potential implications of losing state funding, stating, “This is a crisis situation. The potential loss of state funding poses real challenges for the Houston Police and Fire Departments and will impact public safety services across our city, the 2026 FIFA World Cup preparations, and the Homeland Security Department. Our public safety departments rely on a combination of local, state, and federal resources to operate effectively.”
Houston City Council Member Alejandra Salinas also weighed in, declaring, “Governor Abbott’s threat to strip critical public safety funding from Houston is an attempt to bully our city for doing what is right. This is not a surprise. It’s straight out of the schoolyard bully playbook. Governor Abbott is wrong on the law, and this ordinance is legal. Senate Bill 4 and the Governor cannot trump the Fourth Amendment of the Constitution. We should not give into this unlawful intimidation. Threatening to pull resources from police, firefighters, and emergency responders puts politics over public safety and does nothing to make Houston safer. I stand ready to work with Mayor Whitmire and City Council to defend the city’s laws and protect Houston residents.”
