Austin Negotiates with Abbott to Avoid $2.5M Grant Loss Over ICE Policy City officials in Austin are engaged in discussions with Texas Governor Greg Abbott to prevent the loss of $2.5 million in state grant funding, following Abbott’s threat to revoke the money over new policies enacted by the Austin Police Department (APD) that limit interactions between local officers and federal immigration agents. The dispute centers on APD’s recent policy, which prohibits officers from arresting or detaining individuals solely based on noncriminal warrants issued by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The policy was introduced in March after public backlash over a 911 call that resulted in the deportation of an Austin woman and her daughter, sparking widespread community concerns about police cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Assistant City Manager for Public Safety Ramon Batista stated that Austin officials are “continuing conversations with the Governor’s office in a good faith effort to reach a resolution.” He emphasized the critical role of the at-risk grants, which fund programs aimed at preventing terrorist attacks, processing sexual assault kits, and keeping youth out of the juvenile justice system. Abbott’s threat to withhold funding came as part of a broader crackdown on three major Texas cities—Austin, Houston, and Dallas—that have implemented policies to curtail local police interactions with ICE. The governor’s office argued that the new APD policy violates state grant agreements by “impeding or restricting” the ability of officers to notify ICE about individuals in custody who may have immigration violations.#lisas_davis #austin_police_department #u_s_immigration_and_customs_enforcement #texas_governor_greg_abbott #ramon_batista
