Family members and community advocates told the Houston City Council on Oct. 7 that Reyna (Reina) Gonzalez, a Houston resident reportedly experiencing a severe mental‑health episode in July, was arrested and later deported after a law‑enforcement response that they say should have used crisis‑intervention services.

Speakers said Gonzalez’s family called for help and asked for mental‑health support. According to the speaker representing the family, Gonzalez was taken to county custody, placed in an "ice hold" and subsequently deported; advocates said authorities should have pursued crisis‑intervention alternatives rather than criminal charges. "She was deported now," the speaker said, urging the city to prioritize mental‑health responses and avoid policies that could lead to deportation of people with clinical crises.

Councilmembers pressed for factual clarity and promised follow‑up. Councilmembers asked whether Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) or Mobile Crisis Outreach Team (MCOT) had been involved; the family representative said the husband called HPD after an incident and that the sheriff’s office handled the arrest. Councilmember responses stressed that credibility in immigrant communities requires careful handling of such cases.

Councilmember McCain and others said they support more funding and expanded crisis‑intervention services. McCain noted the need for immigrant communities to trust police and called for more providers to be available to respond to mental‑health crises. Several councilmembers requested body‑camera or other footage to review the incident; the family representative asked for immediate release of cameras and for meetings with police leadership. The council did not take formal binding action at the meeting but several members said they would seek meetings with HPD leadership and pursue release of relevant footage.

Provenance: Public comment describing the arrest and deportation of a resident with mental‑health needs began with a family representative who said the case resulted in deportation and asked the council to prioritize crisis intervention. Councilmembers discussed steps to obtain camera footage and meet with police leadership.