Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced on Wednesday that he is investigating the Dallas County sheriff, Marian Brown, for allegedly not pursuing a formal agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). This investigation arises from a new Texas law that mandates local sheriffs to engage with ICE under the 287(g) program, which grants local law enforcement specific immigration enforcement powers.
Since the law took effect on January 1, 2023, sheriffs in other Texas counties, such as El Paso, Bexar, and Harris, have either initiated or finalized agreements with ICE. In contrast, Dallas County has yet to take similar action. In a letter to Sheriff Brown, Paxton emphasized, “The decision of whether to seek such an agreement is not yours to make.”
The Dallas County Sheriff’s Office did not respond immediately to requests for comment regarding the investigation. Under the 287(g) program, there are two primary types of jail-related partnerships: the warrant service model, which allows officers to serve and execute administrative warrants on individuals in their jails and hold them for ICE, and the task force model, which enables local enforcement to question individuals about their immigration status during routine policing.
Despite not having a formal agreement with ICE, the Dallas County Jail has been among the nation’s top 10 jails for ICE detainers, which are requests from immigration agents to hold individuals for deportation. Recent statistics show that between September 2023 and late July 2025, the Dallas County Jail accounted for over 4,000 detainers, surpassing Bexar County during the same timeframe. In contrast, Harris County Jail led the nation with more than 9,500 detainers.
This investigation is not without precedent; a 2017 state law requires sheriff’s offices operating county jails to honor ICE detainer requests. Furthermore, the Bexar County sheriff successfully entered into a 287(g) warrant service agreement in October 2022, according to the latest ICE data.
While data for El Paso and Harris counties regarding their cooperation with ICE is currently unavailable, the El Paso agency has indicated its intention to pursue a similar model. As of May 12, Texas sheriffs had signed a total of 270 agreements under the 287(g) cooperative program.
The ongoing investigation into Dallas County’s approach to immigration enforcement highlights the tensions between local law enforcement practices and federal immigration policies. As the situation develops, it will be crucial to monitor how these legal and operational dynamics unfold in Texas and beyond.
