The Keller City Council will weigh a formal local partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, at its Aug. 5 meeting.
If the proposal goes into effect, individuals arrested and booked in the local jail will be subject to immigration status screening using additional federal resources.
According to a July 17 letter from Mayor Armin Mizani, the proposal “targets criminals, not law-abiding residents.”
Mizani, a Republican who recently announced a bid for the Texas State Senate, told KERA the Keller Police Department already screens those in custody for immigration infractions.
Joining ICE’s 287(g) program would formalize those efforts and bring new federal resources to the department, like training.
“We’ve been doing this in practice for some years,” Mizani said. “Apparently we just never opted into the program.”
Mizani said he hopes other cities will join the 287(g) program after Keller.
A spokesperson for the city said Keller Police Chief Brad Fortune expects to discuss how the move could impact the Keller Regional Detention Center at the next city council meeting.
Council member Ross McMullin said in an emailed statement he plans to support the proposal.
“There is no higher calling for local municipalities than to ensure the safety of its citizens,” he wrote. “I look forward to learning more about how we will implement the program in Keller.”
According to the non-partisan American Immigration Council, as of the end of June, more than 700 state or local law enforcement agencies across 40 states have signed 287(g) agreements with ICE.
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