Dallas Police Department has told immigrant communities that they will not partake in any ICE deportation raids despite brash orders made by President Donald Trump.
Officers announced their decision to break against the ultra-conservative views of the Texas red state in a Facebook post after revealing they would be hosting five sessions with the community in a bid to dampen down deportation fears.
“The goal is to provide direct communication to our constituents concerning false information about Immigration and under-reporting of crimes due to fear,” the February 7 note read.
Typically police officers in the U.S. are known to express conservative values in line with tough security and border control stances put forward by serving Republican governments.
However, since polarizing events such as January 6, the U.S. alt-right appears to have propelled their views further, according to Ron DeLord, a former police officer and public safety union expert, who spoke to Reuters in 2022.
On Thursday, DPD Interim Chief Michael Igo attempted to put residents at ease in a post on X, stating: “There’s no room for fear in our community.
“I am meeting with stakeholders across Dallas to reassure them we’re here to serve and protect all Dallas residents and are committed to enforcing city ordinances and state laws.”
But Dallas PD has been met with swathes of criticism from MAGA supporters online with users slating the department’s choice to back away from the hardline immigration policy.
“They need to take away all state and federal funding for the Dallas Police Department until Dallas agrees to help in the capture of criminal illegal immigrants that are raping and murdering Texas citizens,” one irritated user commented.
Another commented on an unrelated post that highlighted the murder of a 51-year-old man, writing: “Probably committed by one of the ILLEGAL ALIENS the Dallas PD is protecting.”
Significantly, infuriated users placed Igo at the center of the attacks, one of whom waded in on the fact that Texas was a strong supporter of the Republican president’s tough stance on immigration after the state cast more than six million votes in his favor in the November 2024 election, according to Politico.
“This is absolutely unacceptable. I hope the Texas AG investigates this BS. No Police department should refuse to work with immigration agencies. I expect this from California, but not Texas. The people of Texas dont [sic] want this. Remove this interim Police Chief. He is an absolute idiot...”
However, as the abuse increased, the department announced it was going to postpone its third scheduled meeting on Thursday.
Igo, speaking to attendees at Familia Bethel Internacional church in Dallas on Wednesday, said: “The Dallas Police Department is not assisting any federal agency on detaining people that are either documented or undocumented in the city of Dallas.
“I need you guys to continue to call the police, to not be afraid to come out of your homes to go to work, to send our kids to school,” added Igo, as per CBS.
Igo did warn that undocumented immigrants with active criminal warrants are at risk of deportation.
“If somebody did commit a crime a long time ago and there’s still a warrant for that person there's a very good chance they may be taken for that,” said Igo.
The Independent contacted the Dallas Police Department for comment.
