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Dallas Police Department reiterates policy limiting immigration-status stops
Summary
A Dallas Police Department representative said officers will not stop people solely to determine immigration status, reiterated a department general order in effect since October 2017, and confirmed the department has not been asked by state or federal authorities to take part in immigration-enforcement operations.
An unidentified representative of the Dallas Police Department on Friday reiterated the department's standing policy on immigration enforcement and emphasized protections for victims, witnesses and community members.
The speaker said the department's "top priorities remain investigating crimes, responding to emergencies, and reducing violent crime," and that the agency will continue to enforce state and local laws "while protecting the constitutional rights of all people." The statement framed the department's duties as both law-enforcement and rights-protection roles.
"The Dallas Police Department has not been asked by either state or federal law enforcement to participate in any immigration enforcement efforts," the Unidentified Speaker said. The statement added that the department nonetheless "has assisted and will continue to assist any agency in the arrest of a person wanted for criminal offense regardless of their immigration status."
The speaker quoted the department's internal guidance on immigration: "Dallas officers will not, and I quote from our general order, stop or contact any person for the sole purpose of determining immigration status and are permitted but not required to ask about the immigration status only of those persons who are lawfully detained or arrested." The statement said that general order has been in effect "since October of 2017."
On protections for victims and witnesses, the speaker again quoted the general order: "officers may not ask the immigration status of those who are victims, witnesses, or those who are reporting a crime unless necessary to investigate the offense or to provide information regarding federal visas designed for the protection of persons assisting law enforcement or if the officer has probable cause that the victim or witness has engaged in a specific conduct constituting a separate criminal offense." The statement did not name which federal visa programs were meant.
The speaker also reminded listeners that Dallas officers are bound by laws that prohibit racial profiling and stressed that trust between law enforcement and the communities served is "essential to public safety." The statement encouraged community members to report crimes and cooperate with police and said the department will "continuously monitor any changes to state and or federal laws and can fully comply with all existing and new legal requirements while promoting safety, trust, and cooperation within the Dallas community."
The statement concluded with thanks to departmental employees for their "dedication, professionalism, and unwavering commitment" to serving the community.
No formal actions, motions or votes were reported during the statement; it was presented as a departmental announcement.
