Harris County Democrats File Injunction Against 'Racial Profiling' by ICE

Seek to stop ICE from 'unlawfully detaining and abusing American citizens'

Published on Feb. 5, 2026

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Harris County Democrats announced they will be filing an injunction arguing that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers are racially profiling residents in the Greater Houston area. The forthcoming order will seek to stop ICE from 'unlawfully detaining and abusing American citizens' in recent operations across the region.

Why it matters

The request for an injunction comes amid reports that the Greater Houston area leads the nation in ICE arrests, with the majority of the arrests coming from Montgomery County. Harris County Democrats argue these actions by ICE violate constitutional protections and have caused fear and trauma in their communities.

The details

Harris County Democratic Party chair Mike Doyle, Texas House Democratic Caucus chair Gene Wu, Houston-area U.S. Representatives Sylvia Garcia and Al Green, and members of Harris County law enforcement, as well as other community organizers, will be at Friday's announcement to provide more details on the injunction. The injunction will target recent ICE operations across the Greater Houston area, which have resulted in over 5,200 'at large' arrests in the community and 9,300 arrests from jails and prisons.

  • The injunction will be filed on Friday, February 6, 2026.
  • Last week, Harris County Commissioners voted 4-1 to pass a motion condemning the Department of Homeland Security's deployment of ICE agents in cities across the country.

The players

Mike Doyle

Harris County Democratic Party chair.

Gene Wu

Texas House Democratic Caucus chair representing Houston.

Sylvia Garcia

U.S. Representative for the Houston area.

Al Green

U.S. Representative for the Houston area.

Tom Ramsey

The sole Republican on the Harris County Commissioners Court, who cast the lone dissenting vote on the motion condemning ICE's actions.

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What’s next

The judge will hear arguments on the injunction filed by Harris County Democrats on Tuesday, February 11, 2026.

The takeaway

This case highlights the growing tensions between local Democratic leaders and federal immigration enforcement agencies like ICE, as they clash over issues of racial profiling, constitutional rights, and the impact on immigrant communities. The outcome of the injunction could set an important precedent for how local governments can push back against aggressive federal immigration tactics.