Paxton Demands Dallas County Sheriff Enter 287(g) Agreement With ICE by June 1

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton opened an investigation Wednesday into Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown and demanded she request a federal 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement by June 1, 2026, six months before the statutory compliance date set by Senate Bill 8. Paxton's letter to Brown, released by the Office of the Attorney General Wednesday, framed the inquiry as part of an investigation designed to prevent sanctuary policies and ensure SB 8 compliance. Paxton warned that if Brown does not report compliance efforts before Monday, June 1, 2026, his office will treat the failure as a refusal to comply. The Office of the Attorney General is authorized under Texas Government Code §753.054 to bring an action for equitable relief against a sheriff who fails to comply. Senate Bill 8, passed in the 89th Legislative Session and codified at Chapter 753 of the Texas Government Code, requires the sheriff of each county that operates a jail to request and enter a 287(g) agreement with ICE. The statute took effect January 1, 2026, with a compliance deadline of December 1, 2026, and gives the Attorney General authority to sue non-compliant sheriffs. The Texas Comptroller's first SB 8 implementation report is due April 1, 2028.

Brown's defense

In her Wednesday statement, Brown said Dallas County maintains an active working relationship with ICE and operates substantially similar to the 287(g) Jail Enforcement Model contemplated by Chapter 753. Brown said her October "no additional efforts" remark was taken out of context and reflected her position that the existing cooperation already achieves the statute's public safety objectives. Brown said her office "remains committed to continued compliance with applicable state and federal laws." Even without a formal 287(g) partnership, the Dallas County Jail ranked among the nation's top 10 jails for ICE detainer requests. Dallas processed more than 4,000 detainers between September 2023 and late July 2025, surpassing Bexar County during the same period, according to figures published by the Deportation Data Project. Harris County Jail led the country with more than 9,500 detainers over the same period.

Where major Texas counties stand

ICE data updated May 12, 2026 report 1,812 total 287(g) Memorandums of Agreement nationally, including 178 Jail Enforcement Model, 499 Warrant Service Officer, and 1,127 Task Force Model agreements. Texas sheriffs account for more than 270 of those signings, with some counties registering for multiple models. Bexar County entered a Warrant Service Officer agreement in October 2025. El Paso County has told reporters it intends to pursue the same model. Harris County is in negotiation, though no agreement appeared on the ICE roster as of May 12. Tarrant County Commissioners approved a sheriff-ICE partnership in February 2026 with a $140,000 supporting grant. Collin, Denton, Ellis, and Rockwall county sheriff's offices already participate. The Paxton investigation comes three weeks after Governor Greg Abbott's Public Safety Office threatened to withhold approximately $32.1 million in fiscal year 2026 public safety grants and to imperil Dallas's share of $51.5 million in 2026 FIFA World Cup security funding over Dallas Police Department General Order 315.04. The Dallas Police Department revised the order on April 24, 2026, before the state-imposed deadline. Paxton's June 1 deadline arrives 18 days from publication. Brown has not announced whether her office will submit a formal request for a 287(g) Memorandum of Agreement before that date. The Attorney General's office has not yet filed a §753.054 enforcement action. Photo credit: Gage Skidmore