A partnership between federal immigration enforcement and local police could undermine trust between officers and community members that took years to build, North Texas residents told the Dallas City Council on Wednesday.
Three people — two of whom were from Dallas — voiced gtheir opposition to a partnership between the city and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement at Wednesday's meeting.
Their comments came days after Mayor Eric Johnson requested a joint meeting between the city's Public Safety and Government Efficiency committees to discuss joining ICE's 287(g) program. His request came after Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux told the Community Police Oversight Board that he turned down $25 million to join the program.
District five resident Tamitha Curiel spoke on the efforts police officers have made in building trust with community members since 2020. She said partnering with ICE would be a move backwards, ending years of work DPD have done to earn that trust.
"It would put them in positions where residents see them not as protectors — which I admit I still struggle with — but as agents of a federal system known for abducting citizens, separating families, breaking laws, and spreading fear," Curiel said.
Council members Chad West, Adam Bazaldua, Jaime Resendez, and Paula Blackmon said in a joint statement that joining the program would "undermine progress" made in building trust between the police department and residents.
In a separate joint statement, Mayor Pro Tem Jesse Moreno and Council Member Laura Cadena said in a separate joint statement that immigration enforcement is the responsibility of the federal government.
"Local law enforcement agencies, including ours, are committed to maintaining trust with the communities we serve — trust that is essential to effective policing and public safety for all residents," Moreno and Cadena said in the statement.
Council members Paul Ridley and Kathy Stewart also published a joint statement, but did not express a stance on the issue. Both Ridley and Stewart said they anticipate a "robust discussion" of the program.
"We fully support our sworn officers in keeping all Dallas residents safe and share Chief Comeaux’s commitment to strengthening community trust," Ridley and Stewart said in their statement. "Safe cities are built on the foundation of trust and mutual respect between its officers and the communities they serve."
Johnson said in his memo to the Public Safety and Government Efficiency committee chairs that the $25 million offered by ICE could be used to hire more officers with no impact on the budget.
The federal government would fully reimburse participating agencies for the annual salary and benefits of each eligible officer for the 287(g) program. It would include overtime coverage up to 25% of the officers annual salary.
But District five resident Edvin Arriaza told council members on Wednesday that the $25 million would come with strings attached.
"It comes with fear, it comes with a cost to our trust, and public safety," Arriaza said. "The well-being of undocumented families, and let's be real, families who fit whatever profile ICE decides to go after."
Arriaza said he has seen DPD officers show up to community events and neighborhood meetings to work with community members. He said adding ICE to the mix would make entire sections of the community afraid to report crimes or call for help.
"Taking this money sends a message that we are willing to trade our neighbors' safety for a short-term budget fix," Arriaza said.
Joining the ICE 287(g) program was not on Wednesday's agenda and the city council took no action regarding it during its meeting. A joint meeting to discuss the program had not been scheduled as of Wednesday.
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