Introduction to the 287(g) Program
The city of Dallas is considering a proposal that would allow its police officers to help enforce federal immigration laws. This proposal is part of the 287(g) program, which is named after its statutory citation in Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. The program would entrust local officers with duties typically reserved for federal immigration authorities.
The Joint Meeting
Two Dallas City Council committees, the public safety and government efficiency committees, will hold a joint meeting to discuss the proposal. The meeting will be open to the public and streamed live on the city’s website. The planned discussion follows Chief Daniel Comeaux’s disclosure last month that he had turned down a $25 million offer from the federal government to have Dallas police join the 287(g) program.
The Program’s Details
The 287(g) program operates under three models: two based in jails, and a task force model that allows local officers to question and detain people about their immigration status during routine patrols. The Department of Homeland Security’s website says the agency would reimburse the city for participating officers’ salaries and benefits, covering their full pay and up to 25% in additional overtime.
Jennifer Sanchez, a legislative coordinator with the Texas Civil Rights Project, speaks as community groups Vecinos Unidos DFW, the Dallas Hispanic Bar Association and Somos Tejas hold a press conference calling on the city and Dallas police to reject collaboration with ICE under the 287(g) program outside of Dallas City Hall on Friday, Oct. 24, 2025.
Juan Figueroa / Staff Photographer
Mayor’s Memo
Mayor Eric Johnson appeared to take issue with Comeaux’s decision to turn down the offer to join the program without consulting the City Council. In a memo last month, the mayor wrote the program could bolster the city’s finances and serve as a "force multiplier" for the local police force. He called for the special joint meeting of the committees to debate the proposal. Johnson specifically highlighted the program’s task force model, writing that participation "could provide significant financial benefits to the city" and be used to hire additional officers with no impact on the city’s budget.
Council Members’ Reactions
Johnson’s memo prompted 10 council members — Chad West, Jesse Moreno, Jaime Resendez, Laura Cadena, Adam Bazaldua, Lorie Blair, Paula Blackmon, Kathy Stewart, Gay Donnell Willis and Paul Ridley — to issue public statements arguing immigration enforcement should remain a federal responsibility. Some said the partnership would undermine public trust in the police department.
Chief’s Decision
Comeaux expanded on his decision in a memo Thursday, saying the program would place Dallas officers under federal supervision — a move he warned could slow 911 response times and "erode the public trust our department has worked hard to build."
Dallas chief of public safety Dominique Artis (left) and police Chief Daniel Comeaux exit the dais after appearing in front of the board members during the monthly Community Police Oversight Board meeting, on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, at Dallas City Hall in Dallas.
Shafkat Anowar / Staff Photographer
Participation in the Program
As of Oct. 31, 206 Texas agencies were participating in the program, according to a list published on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s website. The majority of participants, the list shows, are county sheriff’s offices, with a smaller number of municipal departments and three state entities: the Texas Department of Public Safety’s criminal investigations division, the Texas National Guard and the Texas attorney general’s office.
Unprecedented Move
If Dallas were to adopt the task force model, it would represent an unprecedented move among major U.S. cities. None of the nation’s 15 most populous cities — Dallas among them — has police departments participating under that version of the program.
Committee Chairs
The city’s public safety committee is chaired by council member Cara Mendelsohn, who represents District 12 in Far North Dallas. The government efficiency committee is chaired by council member Maxie Johnson, who represents District 4 in south Oak Cliff.
Conclusion
The proposal to authorize city police officers to help enforce federal immigration laws has sparked debate and outcry from immigrant advocate groups. The city’s public safety and government efficiency committees will hold a joint meeting to discuss the proposal, which is part of the 287(g) program. The program would entrust local officers with duties typically reserved for federal immigration authorities, and the Department of Homeland Security’s website says the agency would reimburse the city for participating officers’ salaries and benefits.
FAQs
Q: What is the 287(g) program?
A: The 287(g) program is a federal program that allows local law enforcement agencies to partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to enforce federal immigration laws.
Q: What are the benefits of participating in the 287(g) program?
A: The program could provide significant financial benefits to the city, and be used to hire additional officers with no impact on the city’s budget.
Q: What are the concerns about participating in the 287(g) program?
A: The
