North Texas Congresswoman Julie Johnson is demanding transparency from the Dallas Police Department on its cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement following months of concern from residents.
Last week Dallas residents asked the city council whether the city would opt into ICE's 287(g) Program, which allows ICE to collaborate with state and local law enforcement in the arrest and deportation of immigrants.
Johnson — a Democrat whose district includes Dallas, Collin and Denton counties — sent a letter to Chief of Police Daniel Comeaux Friday asking for a detailed explanation of the Dallas Police Department's current policy regarding the program.
In the letter, Johnson said the program has resulted in the detention and deportation of individuals without criminal records.
"These instances raise critical civil rights concerns and can damage trust between immigrant communities and local police, particularly when reports surface of individuals being detained without clear identification or justification," she said.
Corbin Rubinson, DPD Senior Public Information Officer, said the department received Johnson’s letter and will respond, but did not clarify whether the response would be made public.
Johnson set a deadline of Aug. 21 to receive a written response from Comeaux answering six questions related to the police department's immigration policy.
The questions are:
- Has your department entered into any Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) or informal agreements with ICE or other DHS agencies?
- What is the criteria used to determine when and how DPD engages with ICE or assists in immigration enforcement?
- Does your department collect or share immigration status information during routine policing?
- What is the department’s process for ensuring transparency and accountability in federal partnerships?
- Are DPD officers ever stationed or detailed to work alongside ICE officers, and if so, in what capacity?
- Has your department received funding, equipment, or other resources from ICE or DHS this year? If so, for what purposes?
Comeaux has faced criticism after saying his department would fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities in a Fox News interview earlier this year.
"If there's a federal agency that's doing an operation and they need our assistance, we'll be there to help them," he said, "as long as they're doing it by the law and doing it with respect."
He later clarified the department's policy, saying his comments were specifically about those with felony warrants, but reiterated the department would continue to assist "federal partners."
A police spokesperson told KERA News last week the commissioner's position and the department's approach to immigration issues had not changed.
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