Keller council approves joining ICE 287(g) warrant-service officer model after heated public hearing

The Keller City Council voted unanimously Aug. 5 to authorize the city27s participation in U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement27s 287(g) warrant-service officer (WSO) model, after more than two hours of public comment that drew dozens of speakers urging the council to reject the program.

The resolution, approved after a council motion and second, directs Keller to adopt the WSO model, which trains designated detention officers at the city27s jail to execute ICE administrative warrants for people in custody. The council did not adopt a more expansive task-force or jail-enforcement 287(g) model; the WSO model limits immigration enforcement activity to the jail, not street patrols.

Supporters, including the police department and the ICE representative at the meeting, said the WSO model formalizes existing cooperative practices and can speed the transfer of custody for detainees who are the subject of ICE administrative warrants. Deputy Chief of Police (presentation) described the city27s current intake and fingerprint checks and said ICE would continue to make the final determination of immigration status. He said the WSO training is an eight-hour course largely delivered online and would be taken by detention officers, not patrol officers, and would not require new staff.

Opponents — about two dozen residents and local clergy, plus representatives of immigrant-rights groups — said the program risks racial profiling, wrongful detentions and erosion of trust between immigrant communities and local police. Several speakers cited national cases and broader ICE tactics and asked the council to reject the measure. Many said the city27s police already run fingerprint-based screening and local arrests for serious crimes already go to the county jail where Tarrant County participates in a jail-enforcement 287(g) program.

Council members and the mayor said they had weighed public safety, civil‑liberties concerns and operational details. Mayor Mazani told the meeting that Keller would continue to protect civil rights while maintaining public safety and that the WSO model "streamlines" a step in the current process rather than expanding immigration enforcement power in the community.

The motion that passed directs the city manager to execute the necessary documents to participate in the WSO model and to update local intake procedures to align with ICE27s warrant-service process. Council discussion emphasized that the WSO program does not authorize officers to conduct immigration enforcement outside jail confines and that ICE would review and pick up detainees within the 48-hour window required by law.

The city will maintain existing reporting practices and periodic audits coordinated by ICE headquarters, the deputy chief said. The council asked staff to provide follow-up materials on training, reporting and safeguards as the program is implemented.

Proponents and opponents said they would watch implementation closely. Several residents warned of potential lawsuits or economic boycotts if they believed the program was applied unfairly; city leaders said they would be transparent about how the program operates.

Ending: The council voted to authorize participation in the 287(g) warrant-service officer model. Staff said the next steps include finalizing agreements with ICE, scheduling officer training and updating the jail intake questionnaire; council members asked for periodic reports back to the council to monitor implementation.