Texas politics shifts on immigration as Democrat Hinojosa wins governor's race

Republican Governor Greg Abbott spent years making Texas the centre of the immigration debate, taking aggressive state-level action to control border crossings and busing thousands of migrants to Democratic-run cities. That landscape has been upended with the election of Democrat Gina Hinojosa as governor.

Texas's role as the loyal ally of Trump's immigration machine is considered to be coming to an end. Jason Houser, who served as ICE chief of staff in the Biden administration, called it 'a ground-level shift.'

Hinojosa has criticised Abbott's Operation Lone Star as 'political theatre' and told reporters she will review its budget after taking office. Nathan Johnson, who succeeds Republican Ken Paxton as attorney general, has said he will critically examine contracts with ICE.

However, the Republican majority in the state Senate and a law forcing sheriffs to sign ICE contracts could challenge the shift. Trump and his new chief of staff Stephen Miller are expected to pressure the state to continue arrests. 'If they don't continue my policy, I will,' Trump said at the White House.

Meanwhile, after an ICE officer shot dead Mexican construction worker Lorenzo Salgado Araujo in July, Houston Mayor John Whitmire on Friday signed a new directive limiting ICE cooperation with local police during traffic stops. 'The aim is to begin a process that heals the heart; elections matter,' he said.