Houston has amended a city ordinance that limited police cooperation with federal immigration enforcement agents following pressure from Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

Abbott had threatened to withhold over $150 million in state public safety grants from Houston, Dallas, and Austin unless the cities modified their policies regarding cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The governor gave the three cities until Wednesday to comply with his demands.

The Houston ordinance previously restricted how local police officers could cooperate with federal immigration agents. City officials amended the policy in response to Abbott's ultimatum to avoid losing the substantial state funding.

Dallas and Austin also faced the same deadline and funding threat from the governor. The threatened grants represent significant portions of the cities' public safety budgets, making compliance with Abbott's demands a financial necessity for municipal operations.

The dispute reflects ongoing tensions between state and local governments over immigration enforcement policies. Abbott has consistently pushed for greater cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities, while some cities have sought to limit such collaboration.