In a letter to Mayor Eric Johnson, the Governor’s office threatened to withhold $32.1 million in public safety grants, and possibly more in incoming FIFA funding

DALLAS — Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s office threatened to withhold public safety funds from the city of Dallas because it says Dallas police general orders allow officers to refuse to cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in certain circumstances.  

In a letter sent to Mayor Eric Johnson on Thursday, the Governor’s Public Safety Office Executive Director Andrew Friedrich says the Dallas Police Department adopted general orders saying officers could refuse to cooperate with ICE in certain respects. Friedrich writes that order 315 includes denying ICE’s request to detain an undocumented alien or choosing to withhold notifying ICE of a person’s immigration status. 

DPD’s general orders that all officers must follow states that officers “may not prolong the detention of an individual to further investigate the individual’s immigration status or to hold them for federal authorities.” 

The orders also say DPD officers are not required to tell ICE about an arrested person’s immigration status. 

Friedrich writes this contradicts the certification Dallas City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert made to receive approximately $32.1 million in state public safety grants in 2025. 

The letter has asked the city to confirm by April 23 that it will not enforce and will act to repeal the general orders to comply with Tolbert’s certification or face grant funding cuts. 

A Dallas spokesperson confirmed the city received Friedrich’s letter, adding, “We remain committed to complying with all applicable state and federal laws while continuing to prioritize public safety for the residents of Dallas, and ensuring our officers have the resources and support necessary to effectively serve the community.”

The spokesperson said the city will respond in writing by the deadline. 

If the grants are cut, the letter said Dallas will have to repay the money — and keeping the existing general orders could imperil public safety funding for the upcoming FIFA World Cup, Friedrich wrote. 

When asked for comment, Abbott’s press secretary Andrew Mahaleris, says: “A city’s failure to comply with its contract agreement with the state to assist in the enforcement of immigration laws makes the state less safe. It can have deadly consequences. Cities in Texas are expected to make the streets safer, not more deadly.”

Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux has been in the spotlight for his stance on immigration since his first day on the job — and has repeatedly said he would prefer the department stay under the radar on the topic to avoid the kind of attention it now appears to be receiving. 

In October 2025, Chief Comeaux told the Dallas Community Police oversight board he rejected a $25 million deal with ICE, which would have given local officers the power to enforce some federal immigration laws. The City Council later affirmed this and rejected a deal with ICE. 

But in January, Comeaux angered some activists when he told the same board he would not disclose how often Dallas Police officers encountered ICE agents on city streets.Â