Overview
- Attorney General Ken Paxton, who sent a letter Wednesday, opened an investigation into Sheriff Marian Brown for allegedly refusing to pursue a formal 287(g) agreement with ICE.
- Paxton said Brown stated she would make no additional efforts to secure the deal and warned his office would enforce the law to ensure ICE receives full assistance.
- The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office did not return calls or emails seeking comment, according to the outlets that reported the letter.
- The law that took effect Jan. 1 requires sheriffs who run jails to request 287(g) partnerships, which train local jail officers to question inmates about immigration status and serve ICE administrative warrants; it does not require city police departments to sign such agreements.
- Texas Tribune reporting notes other large counties have moved ahead, with Bexar finalizing a jail warrant service pact and El Paso and Harris pursuing agreements, while Tarrant County approved its partnership in February and set aside a $140,000 grant despite public pushback; Dallas County Jail already ranks among the nation’s top sites for ICE detainers under a separate 2017 law that requires honoring those holds.