DALLAS — Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux revealed in an oversight meeting on Tuesday that he turned down $25 million to partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and authorize his officers to enforce immigration laws.
In a meeting of the Community Police Oversight Board, Comeaux flatly denied any such partnership.
“We as DPD are not doing any immigration enforcement. We don’t have the authority to do that, nor have we done that, nor will we do that,” Comeaux said.
The partnership would have come as part of ICE’s 287(g) program, or the Delegation of Immigration Authority Section 287(g) Immigration and Nationality Act. According to the ICE website, “The 287(g) program allows ICE — through the delegation of specified immigration officer duties — to enhance collaboration with state and local law enforcement partners to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of aliens who undermine the safety of our nation’s communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws.”
In the meeting, Comeaux said of the potential partnership, “We were contacted by the federal government, I think it was last week, or within the last two weeks, and we were offered $25 million to be a part of 287(g) and we said, absolutely not — no.”
According to the Dallas Morning News, Corbin Rubinson, a Dallas police spokesperson, said in a statement, “The Dallas Police Department and Chief Comeaux are focused on serving our city by answering 911 calls and aggressively fighting violent crime. Federal authorities have a different mission with the same importance.”
Over 140 law enforcement agencies in Texas have signed agreements with ICE for 287(g) partnerships. Gov. Greg Abbott signed Senate Bill 8 into law this year, requiring every Texas sheriff’s office with a jail to sign an agreement with ICE by Dec. 1, 2026.
Comeaux said during the meeting that his department has had very little interaction with immigration agencies.