The city is applying to the Model Cities Initiative. This federal program will distribute a pot of $300 million between two to four winning cities, for use in public safety programs ranging from hiring and retention to youth crime prevention.
Last week, council members debated whether to apply for the money, with some expressing concerns that the program could lead to Dallas’ direct participation in immigration enforcement. The measure to apply passed, but five council members voted against it.
Wariness about immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump is not misplaced. The administration has broken trust with communities across the United States, even among those who rightly believed we needed more secure borders and firmer enforcement within them.
Americans have seen people arrested while attending legal proceedings related to their immigration status. They saw an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer shoot and kill an American citizen in Minneapolis on the pretense that she had weaponized her vehicle. They saw that culture of recklessness on display again with shootings in Texas and Maine.
That’s something Dallas shouldn’t be part of.
Some of the language in the program materials is routine. Applying cities must certify that they won’t block the sharing of immigration and citizenship information with federal authorities. These are longstanding provisions that have been in grant language for years, a city staffer told council members.
Other elements are more worrying. Applicants’ goals must align with DOJ priorities. The first priority listed is “Directly supporting law enforcement operations (including immigration law enforcement operations).”
Another portion of the agreement requires the city to commit to working closely with the DOJ and receiving direction from it. Funds are to be awarded through cooperative agreements.
The Dallas City Council must carefully vet the terms of accepting this money if Dallas wins. This funding is not worth it if our city’s police force would be co-opted by federal authorities. We believe in partnering with federal law enforcement, and it has been done effectively for decades. But this administration’s failure to uphold basic standards deserves attention.
In this situation, we’re putting our trust in Chief Daniel Comeaux. He has said DPD’s focus is on local safety, not immigration, and he told council members in the clearest terms that this program wouldn’t change that.
Given how badly Dallas needs funding for public safety in the current budget climate, exploring this program was the right move. But blind trust is not. We urge the City Council to be careful in how it proceeds.
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