The Dallas Police Department says it currently has no plans to enter into a formal agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, offering one of the clearest responses to date amid growing questions for Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux.
Asked whether DPD has opted in to ICE's 287(g) program, which allows local law enforcement to help in the arrest and deportation of immigrants, department spokesperson Corbin Rubinson confirmed in an email it has not.
Asked whether the department was exploring opportunities to partner with ICE, Rubinson said, “The Department is not currently pursuing a 287(g) agreement.”
The statement appears to settle at least one question raised by North Texas U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson, who joined the chorus of people raising concerns about what they see as an unclear position taken by the department.
Johnson, who sent a letter to Comeaux last week, sought answers to six questions:
- 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?
Johnson gave Comeaux an Aug. 21 deadline to respond, and DPD said the chief planned to respond by that date.
In an interview with KERA News last week, which can be read below or listened to at the top of the page, Johnson said Dallas residents deserved answers to those questions.
“I think transparency in government is important,” Johnson said. “Constituents deserve to know what policies their law enforcement and their local governments are enforcing or not enforcing.”
The 287(g) program is often used by sheriff’s offices and other agencies that run jails, as part of ICE’s “jail enforcement model.”
DPD doesn’t operate a jail. But ICE also offers a “task force model,” which grants law enforcement “limited immigration authority with ICE oversight during their routine police duties.”
Johnson’s letter comes as the Trump administration continues its ramped-up immigration enforcement. The chief came under fire after remarks he made on Fox News earlier this year, in which he said the department would fully cooperate with ICE. He later walked back those statements in part.
Since then, Dallas residents have spoken publicly about their concerns and have called on the department to clarify its stance.
The Community Police Oversight Board also wants clarity on Comeaux’s immigration stance, and has requested his presence at the board’s next meeting to answer questions.
Asked whether Comeaux would attend, Rubinson would not confirm.
“The Chief’s schedule for next month has not been finalized,” Rubinson said.
The chief did attend a board meeting in June, but the board was prevented from asking him any direct questions.
KERA’s Bekah Morr spoke with U.S. Rep. Julie Johnson anbout her letter to the Dallas police chief. The below interview has been edited for length and clarity. For the full-length interview, listen at the top of the page.
We know Chief Comeaux has faced criticism for his remarks about working with ICE. He later told reporters he was specifically talking about undocumented people with felony warrants, but he reiterated the department would continue to assist, "federal partners." What are you specifically looking to hear from the chief?
JOHNSON: Well, I think transparency in government is important. Constituents deserve to know what policies their law enforcement and their local governments are enforcing or not enforcing. And it was my understanding, it was brought to my attention that constituents and community groups have asked and inquired of the chief of police, did they sign a 287(g) agreement with the federal government, yes or no?
They've not been provided those answers. And so I sent them a letter asking the questions just to tell us what are they doing, so that the community can then know and make their own decisions in response accordingly.
Has this been something you've been hearing about from your constituents?
JOHNSON: Well, yes, with Donald Trump having this reckless program of snatch and grab, just people based on the color of their skin, irregardless of whether they're citizens or not, or if they're here legally, or about anything. They're just snatching people with masked men who are unidentified, and people are very concerned about that.
But also, there's a lot of crime, there's lot of responsibilities that the local police department is in charge of. I mean, immigration is a federal law enforcement program. And then Dallas Police, they're supposed to enforce local laws and state criminal laws here within our city. And so, you know, there's agreements. It's voluntary if the police department chooses to become local ICE enforcers in addition to their other jobs. And I think the constituents of Dallas have deserved the right to know if the Dallas Police Department's participating in that program. Yes or no? It's a simple question. And we just want the answer.
Your letter sets a deadline of Aug. 21 to receive a written response from Comeaux. If that doesn't happen, what then?
JOHNSON: Well, we'll certainly take a look at our next steps to see whatever we need to do. I would expect that the police chief would respond to a sitting member of Congress' question about whether or not they're going to engage with federal ICE detention officers. I sit on the Homeland Security Committee, and I think we can subpoena him to our committee if that's where we go. But hopefully he'll just answer my questions, so that the public can get answers to the questions that they've raised.
There was a story in 2023 about former police chief Eddie Garcia, who's now in the running for Fort Worth police chief. He joined Dallas interfaith leaders, did a block walk in largely Latino and Hispanic communities with immigrant populations, and he made a point to reach out to those communities to try to garner trust. With everything happening now in Washington, and with the questions you've raised for Chief Comeaux, are you concerned that the trust that has been built in the past is now starting to go away?
JOHNSON: That's always a concern. You know, one of the strongest deterrents to crime is strong community engagement and strong trusted relationships with the police. You want people to feel safe in reporting crime to the police, you want people feel safe in their interactions with police and notification and that community joint response. We all want a safe community. No one wants dangerous criminals roaming our streets and we need our local police. To have the support of the local community, it makes everyone stronger.
So, you know, just answering questions, letting people know, these are the policies of the police department, this is what we're gonna do and what were not gonna do, just helps provide trust and helps provide information and let everyone know what page he's on, so that everyone is focusing down in the right plane and on the same page. And so I think that hopefully the police chief will answer my questions and we'll see what happens.
I don't want to take up too much of your time, but I do have to ask about redistricting, since it's been such a hot-button issue here in Texas as of late. Obviously, Texas House Democrats have left the state to block the passage of Republican-drawn maps that could give the GOP as many as five new seats in the midterms. You've publicly criticized the president's push for this redistricting. What would you say to Texans who might be impacted by this process, who may be feeling disenfranchised right now?
JOHNSON: Well, you know, unfortunately, Republicans are more concerned about a tweet of Donald Trump than they are about the votes of their voters. And it's really unfortunate that they're doing such a disservice to the communities of Texas. Here in North Texas, they're dismantling Dallas County and Tarrant County, the urban core, and pairing that with rural counties, east, west, and north, and south to try to dilute the urban vote, to dilute the minority vote in direct, overwhelming violation of the Voting Rights Act. So I think folks are outraged. You're seeing Democrats really engage and feeling disenfranchised by Republicans who don't care about their communities and their rights to vote and their rights to select their elected leaders, versus elected leaders selecting their voters.
What are your thoughts on the Democrats leaving the state? And if their efforts don't work, are Democrats in Washington prepared to step in in some way? Or do you see this more as a state's issue?
JOHNSON: Well, you know, the House Democratic caucus made the decision to break quorum. It's a constitutional right protected in our constitution. You know, I find it so fascinating that these Republicans are so outraged by the minority party exercising their constitutional rights. They take an oath to defend the Constitution of the State of Texas, but yet they're just outraged when the minority party exercises rights guaranteed by that state constitution. The hypocrisy is overwhelming, which is true to form for Republicans in the state of Texas.
