On Thursday, Jan. 8, approximately 1,000 Dallas residents protested the continued deployment of immigration enforcement officers in American cities.
The protest was largely motivated by the recent killing of Minneapolis resident Renee Good, whose death Jan. 7 sparked protests nationwide. Though the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, has faced opposition for at least a decade, the agency has recently faced its strongest disapproval rating ever, with polling company Civiqs noting a disapproval rate of 49%.
Downtown Dallas’ protests were not the only show of opposition in the metroplex. On Saturday, Jan. 17, individuals gathered in Plano on the corner of Preston and Parker Road. On Tuesday, Jan. 20, another protest is scheduled in downtown Dallas.
Local politicians have been against ICE’s involvement in Dallas, even before the recent wave of protests. Last fall, ICE repeatedly proposed a $25 million collaboration with local law enforcement under its 287(g) program. Both Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux and the Dallas City Council rejected the proposal, decisions Mayor Eric Johnson supported.
ICE’s involvement in Dallas has itself been controversial in the last year. Following ICE’s Dallas Field Office holding over 600 individuals over its 12-hour hold limit in inhumane conditions, Congresspeople Marc Veasey, Jasmine Crockett and Julie Johnson sent a letter to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem asking for increased oversight.
On Sept. 24, a 24-year old man shot into the Dallas ICE facility and then at himself, killing detainee Norlan Guzman-Fuentes. The crisis resulted in federal response and local mourning.
ICE’s future in Dallas remains uncertain, with local politicians increasingly opposing its presence while state and federal actors demand the opposite. At the center of that debate lie Dallas residents, protesting once again.
