The city of Houston, together with The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), and immigration officials have assured undocumented immigrants who are seeking shelter from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey that they do not have to fear being picked up by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. Statements about the rumor were issued to try and reassure immigrants afraid of the legal repercussions of trying to seek shelter.
FEMA addressed the rumor on its Hurricane Harvey page, assuring immigrants that ICE is conducting no immigration enforcement operations at relief sites, such as food banks or shelters. FEMA says the Red Cross or local communities are managing the majority of shelters and that the former will not ask for any kind of identification from people wanting to take refuge there.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued a similar statement, and the City of Houston also tweeted assurances. Customs and Border Protection agency operate the checkpoints north of the US border with Mexico, which is within the evacuation path for many attempting to flee from the storm. The checkpoints are to stay open during Hurricane Harvey and its aftermath, a decision criticized by the Texas chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union.
That decision, together with the fact that the Department of Homeland Security controls both FEMA and ICE, raised fears about detention and deportation. The messages from both agencies were intended to allay those concerns.