Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux says the federal government offered $25 million to partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement — but he turned it down. He shared that information on Tuesday, following months of concern from residents and the city's Community Police Oversight Board.
The money the federal government offered is part of ICE's 287(g) Program, which other state and local agencies have joined.
The program allows ICE to collaborate with state and local law enforcement in the arrest and deportation of immigrants.
Dallas residents and the police oversight board have wanted to know for months whether the city would work more closely with ICE.
Comeaux said during Tuesday's police oversight board meeting that the department was contacted by the federal government in the last two weeks and offered $25 million to be part of the the program, but he turned it down.
"So some of the things that are being posted and being said are just absolutely not true and it's not happening in Dallas," Comeaux said. "Now, is it happening in other places? Yes, but it's not happening here."
Social media videos alleging Dallas police were assisting ICE were actually working with U.S. Marshals to arrest sex offenders, Comeaux said. So far, Dallas police have had little interaction with ICE.
Board member Brandon Friedman said residents are fearful because of social media posts and seeing local police departments working with ICE in other cities.
A shooting at a Dallas ICE facility last month — which left two detained people dead and one injured — sent fear through the local migrant community and raised concerns by advocates at a time when they are already fearful of being targeted due to anti-immigrant rhetoric.
Dallas police are required to cooperate with federal agencies, Comeaux said, but so far they have not been asked to assist.
Comeaux added that he was afraid the conversation was going to draw attention to the city and create problems that do not currently exist.
"We don't need that attention, we don't want to deal with that smoke," Comeaux said. "So I don't understand why we're doing this when nothing has happened."
Dallas is one of many cities across the country reckoning with increased immigration enforcement and deportations in their communities. Demonstrators across the country have protested mass deportations by the Trump Administration this year.
The police oversight board has tried to get answers from Comeaux about his stance on immigration after he said his department would fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities in a Fox News interview.
"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 walked back those comments after public criticism, saying he was taken out of context and that his comments were specifically about those with felony warrants.
The board was prevented from asking Comeaux immigration related questions during its June meeting, a week after the Fox News interview.
Because Comeaux appeared before the board for an introduction — and not to address specifics on local, state, and federal policies — the City Attorney's Office said asking questions not noted on the agenda would have been a violation of the Texas Open Meetings Act.
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