Whitmire said the Houston Police Department is focused on enforcing state laws. He also said “politicizing” federal deportation efforts “is the worst thing you can do.”

Houston officials have been largely close-lipped about their role in efforts to comply with President Donald Trump's calls for mass deportations as a series of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids occurred across the state.

In a city council meeting Tuesday, Mayor John Whitmire addressed immigration enforcement and how it's being handled at a local level.