Houston Faces Legal Challenge Over ICE Detention Policy
A Honduran citizen, Erick Ruiz Lopez, has filed a class-action lawsuit against the City of Houston, alleging unlawful detention by the Houston Police Department (HPD) during a traffic stop. Lopez claims he was held for over two hours to allow U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents to take him into custody, despite having no criminal record or warrants. This lawsuit comes after Houston revised its policy on police cooperation with ICE, following pressure from Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who threatened to withhold over $110 million in public safety grants. The revised ordinance allows HPD officers to wait a 'reasonable' time for ICE agents when encountering individuals with civil immigration warrants. 
