Can Dallas Police Help Deport Undocumented Immigrants?

How exactly is the Dallas Police Department’s approach to helping federal authorities combat illegal immigration?

You won’t get the answer from our new MAGA mayor or the most progressive member of the Dallas City Council. In recent public statements, both succeeded in distorting the way the Dallas Police Department handles a difficult law enforcement problem.

And that’s a shame. Because there is room for debate about how DPD should address the need to ensure that undocumented immigrants accused of violent crimes are deported.

Mayor Eric Johnson in conversation with Fox business On Nov. 20, Dallas said Dallas would “of course” support President-elect Donald Trump in deporting violent immigrants who are here illegally.

There is nothing wrong with the belief that violent criminals should be deported, but Johnson’s claim that he has the authority to direct the actions of the Dallas Police Department is false. Johnson continued to make broader statements about the strain that undocumented immigrants place on the welfare system of schools, hospitals and housing.

People are watching Fox business You’d be forgiven for thinking that Dallas is about to take a hard line on immigration. After all, here was the city’s mayor making bold claims about what “we” were going to do.

But Johnson’s authority is largely limited to persuasion, and that power is almost entirely absent from him at Dallas City Hall, in large part because he spends his time making sweeping statements about Fox and little time trusting 1500 Marilla to build St.

Not to be outdone, Councilman Adam Bazaldua, who has taken an increasingly progressive stance and is an outspoken activist for democratic causes, took to social media to further confuse the situation.

“Our police department has been directed not to engage directly with ICE or other immigration efforts because these are outside of our local jurisdiction and we have more relevant public safety issues to address,” he wrote.

As far as we can tell, this statement is incorrect. Dallas police have clear instructions on how to handle immigration issues, but they have no instructions not to participate in federal law enforcement, city officials said. Police cannot stop people solely to determine immigration status. Officers are permitted, but not required, to “inquire about immigration status only of individuals who are lawfully detained or arrested.”

Suspects taken to prison can be held as immigration detainers at the request of federal authorities.

Local, regional, state and federal law enforcement agencies should all work together to ensure that undocumented people credibly accused of violent crimes are detained and deported pending adjudication of their criminal cases here.

This is common sense and should not be up for debate. But moralizing and arrogance are the order of the day here. We would be better off with silence.

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