Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux confirmed that he rejected a $25 million offer from federal immigration authorities, declining to join the 287(g) program that would have allowed some Dallas police officers to carry out immigration enforcement duties.

According to the Dallas Morning News, Comeaux said he was contacted within the past two weeks and immediately turned down the proposal. He told the board that he personally made the decision and emphasized that the department’s focus is on reducing violent crime and responding to 911 calls. 

The 287(g) program allows local law enforcement to question individuals about immigration status and detain them for federal immigration violations. The program has been adopted by more than 140 law enforcement agencies in Texas, most of them sheriff’s offices. Some cities, such as Keller, have signed agreements, but others have raised concerns about community trust and racial profiling. Dallas Police policy states that officers cannot stop someone solely to determine immigration status or question crime victims or witnesses about their legal status.

Comeaux told the board that the department has had “very little interaction” with immigration enforcement and does not make immigration arrests. He also explained that recent viral videos showing officers at federal operations were misleading because Dallas police were only providing perimeter security at the request of Homeland Security Investigations during a human trafficking raid at a local club.

“There is no true collaboration happening in Dallas,” Comeaux said. “We do what we do, and they do what they do.”

However, the chief’s rejection of the funding sparked pushback from City Hall. Days later, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, who was elected as a Democrat and is now a Republican, sent a memo to City Council members urging them to consider the same $25 million offer. He said the program could help the city hire more officers with no impact on the local budget and called for a public briefing with ICE officials and Chief Comeaux before any decision is made. The mayor argued that such a significant financial and policy choice should not be made by one person.

Even if Dallas continues to decline federal participation, state pressure is growing. A new Texas law requires every county sheriff’s office with a jail to sign some form of 287(g) agreement by December 2026. The version that applies to police departments, known as the task force model, is more controversial because it allows officers to question individuals during routine patrols and make immigration-related arrests.

Comeaux warned that increased attention on immigration could draw unwanted federal involvement.