Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux says policy changes may be possible after Gov. Greg Abbott’s office threatened to strip the City of Dallas of millions in public safety funding over its level of cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
As previously reported by The Dallas Express, the state warned Dallas on April 16 that it could lose roughly $32.1 million in Public Safety Office grants and risk another $55.1 million in public safety funding tied to the 2026 FIFA World Cup if it does not revise police policies state officials say conflict with the City’s own signed assurances.
At the center of the dispute is an April 30, 2025, certification signed by City Manager Kimberly Bizor Tolbert and Chief Daniel C. Comeaux. In that document, the City of Dallas and Dallas Police Department certified that they “participate fully” in Department of Homeland Security procedures involving illegal aliens in agency custody, including notifying DHS of requested information and detaining such individuals in accordance with DHS requests.
The certification also states that neither the City nor the department had any written or unwritten policy that “limits or impedes” the agency’s receipt of detainer requests or its full participation in DHS procedures. It further states that Dallas would comply with Chapter 752, Subchapter C of the Texas Government Code.
State officials argue Dallas Police Department General Order 315.04 conflicts with those assurances. The order states that officers will not stop or contact any person for the sole purpose of determining immigration status. It also says officers may not prolong a detention to further investigate immigration status or hold someone for federal authorities. At the same time, the order states that officers may voluntarily share immigration-status information with ICE or other law enforcement agencies, so long as that communication does not prolong the seizure.
Comeaux said Dallas is discussing the issue with the state and that there may be changes to department policy.
“We are in communication with the state to get clarification on what part of our policy they believe is not in compliance, including the appropriate actions to take when officers encounter someone who has an administrative warrant,” Comeaux said in a statement reported by Fox 4. “There may be changes to our policies following these discussions — but as a police department, we will be in compliance with the law.”
The City of Dallas said it will respond by the state’s deadline.
“The City of Dallas is in receipt of Governor Abbott’s letter regarding public safety grant funding and cooperation with federal immigration authorities,” a city spokesperson said in a statement shared April 16 by Brandon Waltens. “We remain committed to complying with all applicable state and federal laws while continuing to prioritize public safety for the residents of Dallas, and ensuring our officers have the resources and support necessary to effectively serve the community. The City will respond in writing on or before April 23, 2026.”
Dallas City Councilman Jaime Resendez also pushed back on Abbott’s move.
“What we’re seeing right now is an attempt to coerce local governments into shifting our focus away from public safety and toward federal immigration enforcement,” Resendez said, according to Fox 4.
“I think that the Dallas Police Department should focus on public safety in general,” he added. “It’s not their role to enforce federal immigration laws.”
The Dallas Police Association also pushed back, arguing that officers already work with federal partners when needed and warning that pulling funding would strain a department already facing staffing shortages.
“Let me be clear: the men and women of the Dallas Police Department have always supported our federal partners, including U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, every time they have called upon us. Every time,” Dallas Police Association President Sean Pease said in a statement.
Pease said the department is operating about 700 officers short and argued current policy is designed to keep officers focused on emergency response, violent crime, and local public safety rather than extending routine detentions for immigration enforcement.
“These policies do not prevent cooperation with federal authorities; they ensure that Dallas officers are not diverted from their core mission during routine policing,” Pease said.
The latest dispute builds on months of debate in Dallas. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Comeaux said in October 2025 that he personally rejected a $25 million offer for Dallas to join ICE’s 287(g) program, which would have reimbursed local officers for assisting with federal immigration enforcement. At the time, he said the department’s focus remained on answering 911 calls and aggressively fighting violent crime amid staffing and funding shortfalls.
Abbott’s office has defended the state’s position. As previously reported by The Dallas Express, Abbott Press Secretary Andrew Mahaleris said, “A city’s failure to comply with its contract agreement with the state to assist in the enforcement of immigration laws makes the state less safe. It can have deadly consequences. Cities in Texas are expected to make the streets safer, not more deadly.”
Dallas has until April 23 to submit its written response to the state.