The Dallas Express has learned that Attorney General Ken Paxton’s office has been actively investigating the City of Dallas and the Dallas Police Department’s sanctuary city policies. 

The Office of the Attorney General believes the City of Dallas and Dallas Police Department may be in violation of both federal and state laws by refusing to cooperate with agencies like U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) on immigration enforcement.

Under Texas Senate Bill 4 (SB 4), signed into law in 2017, cities like Dallas are prohibited from adopting sanctuary policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement—a law that Paxton’s office believes may have been violated by the city’s current practices.

Interim Dallas Police Chief Michael Igo’s recent public statements reaffirming the department’s policy on illegal immigration may have contributed, at least in part, to the investigation’s origins. 

Speaking at a February press conference, Igo made it clear that officers would not stop or contact people to inquire about their immigration status.

Igo stated, “The department general order regarding immigration remains in effect. In accordance with this regulation, Dallas officers will not, and I quote from our general order, ‘stop or contact any person for the sole purpose of determining immigration status.’”

Additionally, when questioned about the department’s position on aiding federal agencies with deportation efforts of illegal aliens, Igo was firm in his response, stating that Dallas Police would not participate. His comments come as part of a broader conversation surrounding the role of local law enforcement in federal immigration enforcement as President Donald Trump’s new immigration directives are implemented through an executive order. 

Just yesterday, The Dallas Express reported that ICE recently arrested a Mexican national living in Dallas who served no time in prison despite having been convicted of a gruesome killing almost three years ago. On April 3, 2022, 48-year-old Manuel Tellez stabbed a man to death in a Dallas alley seven times, then later returned to set the murdered victim’s body on fire.

After taking a plea deal in 2023 to reduce the original murder charge to manslaughter, Tellez was sentenced to eight years of deferred probation and sent right back into the community. In March 2025, ICE’s Dallas team intervened and arrested Tellez. 

The Dallas Express also learned that the Attorney General’s office has already requested comprehensive information and data from the City of Dallas.

This request could uncover whether Dallas’s policies violate SB 4, risking penalties of up to $25,500 per day for the city or even Chief Igo’s removal from office. SB 4, upheld by the Fifth Circuit in 2018, has been aggressively enforced by Paxton, who once sued San Antonio over similar issues, securing a $300,000 settlement.

However, to date, neither the City of Dallas nor the Dallas Police Department has disclosed that they are under active investigation for potential violations of federal and state immigration laws.

Texas’s broader anti-sanctuary stance, reinforced by SB 4 and initiatives like Operation Lone Star, positions Dallas as a potential case for further statewide enforcement.

DX will have more on this story in the coming days. Please follow at DallasExpress.com, sign up for the free daily newsletter, or download The Dallas Express app in the Apple or Google Play store for real-time notifications and updates as they happen.