Houston Mayor John Whitmire announced Friday that city police will stop notifying federal immigration authorities about administrative immigration warrants during routine encounters unless a person is arrested for a crime punishable by jail time.

The policy reversal came days after Democrats swept major statewide races in Texas. It significantly changes how the Houston Police Department cooperates with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement during traffic stops and other routine interactions.

Whitmire, a Democrat, changed the department’s procedures through an executive order. He said the decision was intended to reduce anxiety within immigrant communities while preserving public safety.

“I have directed the chief and HPD through an executive order that we will change our policy in regarding contact with ICE,” Whitmire said at a Friday news conference. “I do this to begin a healing process, reduce fear and anxiety across our community.”

Under the new order, officers will not alert ICE when an administrative immigration warrant appears during a routine stop that ends without an arrest. Police will continue contacting the agency when someone arrested for a new crime punishable by jail time also has such a warrant.

Houston Police Chief Noe Diaz said officers have received updated guidance about the new procedures. His explanation made clear that a minor traffic citation will no longer become an automatic doorway to immigration enforcement.

“If our police officers pull someone over for a minor traffic infraction and they write a citation, that person receives the citation and goes about their day,” Diaz said. “HPD will no longer contact ICE if they have an administrative warrant and they are not arrested.”

The announcement followed a run of Democratic victories across Texas. Gina Hinojosa defeated Republican Gov. Greg Abbott, James Talarico won a U.S. Senate race, and state Sen. Nathan Johnson was elected attorney general.

Democrats also won the lieutenant governor’s office with Vikki Goodwin and the comptroller’s office with Sarah Eckhardt. Whitmire directly connected the election results to the change taking place in Houston.

“Elections matter,” Whitmire said. “New leadership, new policies, and that’s what we’re responding to.”

Whitmire said he consulted incoming state officials and expects them to take a different approach to Senate Bill 4, the Texas immigration enforcement law that influenced Houston’s previous policy. Whitmire voted against the law while serving as a state senator.

The mayor said his administration had complied with state directives because it feared losing funding. “We were given direction that our funding would be withdrawn if we didn’t follow their direction of contacting ICE,” Whitmire said.

In April, Abbott’s office threatened to withhold roughly $110 million in public safety grants after Houston limited detentions based only on administrative immigration warrants. The city then changed its policy to require officers to contact ICE when those warrants appeared during background checks.

Whitmire acknowledged that rolling back the policy could generate backlash from state or federal officials. He nevertheless accepted responsibility for the change and said he hoped other Texas cities would follow Houston’s example.

“I accept that responsibility. I’m doing what’s in Houston’s best interest,” Whitmire said.

Diaz said the department will continue monitoring encounters through police records and reviews of body camera footage. He also emphasized that Houston does not participate in the federal 287(g) Program, which permits certain local agencies to perform immigration enforcement duties.

For Whitmire, the revised rules are meant to let residents work, attend school and handle everyday activities without fearing that an ordinary police encounter will trigger immigration enforcement. “Unless you commit a new crime, a jailable offense, you have nothing to worry about,” he said.