Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson has called for renewed consideration of a partnership between the Dallas Police Department (DPD) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), drawing criticism from several members of the Dallas City Council.
In a memorandum sent Friday to council members Cara Mendelsohn and Maxie Johnson, —chairs of the city’s public safety and government efficiency committees— Mayor Johnson urged a joint meeting with ICE officials and DPD leadership, to evaluate potential financial benefits of joining the federal 287(g) program. The program allows local law enforcement to perform certain immigration enforcement duties.
“Beyond the direct financial benefits, the Dallas Police Department participating in the 287(g) program might also provide additional avenues for taking and—more importantly—for keeping criminals off our streets,” Johnson wrote in the memo. Suggesting that the funds can be used to “hire additional officers with no impact on the city’s budget.”
DPD Chief Daniel Comeaux had previously stated during a Community Police Oversight Board meeting that the department rejected a $25 million offer to join the program, affirming that DPD is not currently involved in ICE operations.
The mayor’s push for a partnership prompted criticism from six council members. Chad West, Paula Blackmon, Adam Bazaldua, Jaime Resendez, Jesse Moreno, and Laura Cadena expressed concern that such a collaboration would destroy community trust and harm relationships between police and immigrant communities.
“Safer communities are built through trust and connection,” a joint statement from four council members said, adding that participation in 287(g) could undermine that progress.
Moreno and Cadena echoed similar sentiments in a statement posted on Sunday, assuring that immigration enforcement should remain a federal responsibility.
Mayor Johnson, who switched parties in 2023 to become a Republican, has seldom addressed immigration policy publicly, but previously voiced support for federal immigration enforcement: “Of course, we’d support [deportations]. Of course, we’d stand by President Donald Trump in an effort to get rid of people in our country illegally who have violent criminal records,” Johnson told Fox News.
