AUSTIN, Texas — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into the City of Dallas, and he is requesting records to see if the Dallas Police Department is following state and federal immigration laws.
In a letter addressed to Interim Dallas Police Chief Michael Igo, Paxton claims the department “may be violating Texas law, which prohibits local entities from adopting sanctuary city policies that limit immigration enforcement.”
Paxton's office wants the city to turn over "all policies, training materials, and communications related to Dallas’s enforcement or non-enforcement of immigration laws, including any records reflecting decisions to decline cooperation with federal immigration authorities."
This comes as Igo has come under fire after he told the public during a series of meetings that “[t]he Dallas Police Department is not assisting any federal agency on detaining people that are either documented or undocumented in the City of Dallas.”
"This assertion raises serious concerns that the City of Dallas and its police department may be violating Texas law, which prohibits local entities from adopting sanctuary city policies that limit immigration enforcement," Paxton said.
Igo's comments drew criticism from other conservative leaders and media groups, which prompted Igo to release a statement clarifying his comments. In his statement, Igo said the department has not been asked “by either state or federal law enforcement to participate in any immigration enforcement efforts. However, the Department has assisted and will continue to assist any agency in the arrest of a person wanted for a criminal offense, regardless of their immigration status.”
Igo added, “Dallas officers are also bound by laws that prohibit the practice of racial profiling and are committed to protecting every individual’s civil rights.”
The City of Dallas issued a response on Thursday saying, “We are reviewing the letter received from the Texas Attorney General’s Office and will respond at the appropriate time.”
Paxton is a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies. In recent years, Paxton has intensified efforts to enforce state immigration laws, scrutinizing cities he suspects of adopting sanctuary policies that may hinder deportation efforts of undocumented migrants.
One of the attorney general's cases involves a migrant-aid organization in El Paso, Annunciation House. Paxton’s office has tried to shut it down, alleging it facilitates human smuggling and illegal entry into the U.S.
Annunciation House denies Paxton’s allegations and said the people they serve are here legally.
Paxton failed in previous court hearings to get the nonprofit’s records. A state district court in March 2024 threw out his lawsuit. The presiding judge in that hearing stated that Paxton’s demand that the Catholic Church-backed organization turn over documents “violates the Texas Religious Freedom Restoration Act by substantially burdening Annunciation House’s free exercise of religion.”
Paxton filed an appeal and the Texas Supreme Court accepted. Arguments in that case started in January.
