In a letter sent to Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown, AG Ken Paxton demanded that the county sign an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
DALLAS — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a letter Wednesday that Dallas County must seek a formal agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement, according to a news release from his office.
Paxton told Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown that Senate Bill 8, which became effective Jan. 2026, requires the sheriff of every county with a jail to enter into an agreement with federal immigration law enforcement, according to the letter.
WFAA reached out to Dallas County for comment on the letter but did not immediately receive a response.
The agreement, also called a 287(g) agreement, allows a local government to perform the functions of a federal immigration officer, the release states. That includes the “investigation, apprehension, or detention” of people living in the country illegally.
“The decision of whether to seek such an agreement is not yours to make. By enacting (the law requiring participation), the Texas Legislature created a mandatory statewide policy of cooperation between county sheriffs and ICE,” the release states.
Paxton accuses Brown of publicly saying she would make no effort to establish an agreement between the county and the federal government. And that says she has not made the state aware of any efforts to negotiate an agreement with ICE.
Brown has a deadline of June 1, 2026, to begin negotiations with the federal government, the letter states.
Paxton has made similar demands of other large Texas counties, most notably Harris, Bexar and El Paso counties, according to the letter.
Dallas County also recently faced pressure from state officials when Gov. Greg Abbott said he would rescind $32.1 million in public safety grants and $55.1 million tied to the FIFA World Cup if the city didn’t change the wording of its cooperation agreements with DHS and ICE.
Dallas is in the process of complying with Abbott’s demands.