Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has launched an investigation into Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown and ordered her office to begin formal cooperation efforts with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under a state law that took effect earlier this year.
In a letter released on Wednesday, Paxton directed Brown to seek a 287(g) agreement with ICE and report progress to the Office of the Attorney General by June 1, 2026.
The order stems from Senate Bill 8, which became effective January 1 and requires sheriffs in Texas counties that operate jails to enter into formal agreements with ICE. The agreements authorize local officers to perform certain federal immigration enforcement duties involving the “investigation, apprehension, or detention” of people living in the country illegally.
Under the new law that took effect on January 1, county sheriffs operating jails are now required to pursue cooperation agreements with ICE regardless of local political preferences.
“The decision of whether to seek such an agreement is not yours to make,” Paxton wrote in the letter to Brown. “By enacting (the law requiring participation), the Texas Legislature created a mandatory statewide policy of cooperation between county sheriffs and ICE.”
Paxton accused Brown of refusing to comply with the law after she reportedly stated publicly in October 2025 that “no additional efforts” would be made toward establishing an agreement with ICE.
According to the attorney general’s office, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department has not informed the state of any attempts to negotiate such an agreement since the law took effect.
“I will not allow the people of Dallas County to suffer because the Sheriff refuses to work with ICE to keep violent illegals off our streets,” Paxton said in a news release announcing the investigation.
“Texas law requires that sheriffs seek a formal agreement with ICE to help stop illegal immigration,” he added. “My office will ensure that the Dallas County Sheriff complies with the law and that ICE is assisted to the fullest extent possible under the law.”
Paxton’s office said sheriffs in Harris, Bexar, and El Paso counties have already finalized or are negotiating similar agreements with ICE.
In his letter to Brown, Paxton wrote, “Notably, you stand alone in your failure to comply with this law.”
Brown has not yet commented publicly on Paxton’s letter.
The dispute comes amid growing pressure from state officials on local governments over immigration enforcement policies.
Earlier this year, Gov. Greg Abbott’s administration threatened to withhold more than $32 million in public safety grants from the City of Dallas, along with an additional $55.1 million tied to FIFA World Cup preparations, over Dallas police policies regarding cooperation with ICE, The Dallas Express reported.
In a letter sent to Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson in April, the Governor’s Public Safety Office argued that Dallas police general orders allowed officers to decline certain immigration-related cooperation requests from federal authorities.
The department’s policies state officers “may not prolong the detention of an individual to further investigate the individual’s immigration status or to hold them for federal authorities.” The policies also state that officers are not required to notify ICE about a person’s immigration status following an arrest, WFAA reported.
State officials argued those directives conflicted with assurances the City provided to receive state grant funding.
A spokesperson for the City previously said Dallas remained committed to complying with state and federal law while continuing to prioritize public safety.
Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux has said in the past that he preferred for the department to avoid becoming heavily involved in immigration enforcement debates.
Texas Immigration Law Council maintains a web page that explains the three types of 287(g) agreements that local law enforcement entities may choose from and tracks the counties and other jurisdictions that are participating in these agreements.
