It’s been almost a month since Daniel Comeaux was sworn in as the brand new chief of police in Dallas, TX, the place he’s taking a distinct strategy to immigration enforcement than his predecessor and dealing to align with the state’s sanctuary insurance policies.
“We’re gonna do what’s proper. We’re at all times gonna be there to assist our federal companions,” Comeaux informed Fox Information Digital throughout an interview.
“If there’s a federal company that’s doing an operation, they usually want our help, we’ll be there to assist them, so long as they’re doing what’s by the regulation, they usually’re doing it with respect and the best approach, DPD will likely be there to help,” he continued.
Comeaux additionally has the assist of Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson, who mentioned throughout a earlier interview with Fox Information that he would assist efforts by President Donald Trump to deport undocumented migrants accused of violent crimes.
“After all, we’d assist that,” Johnson mentioned through the interview. “After all, we’d stand by President Trump in an effort to do away with folks in our nation illegally who’ve violent felony data or who commit violent felony acts right here.”
Texas has taken a tough stance in opposition to unlawful immigration, notably through the Biden administration. The state deployed authorities to its border with Mexico and took on a marketing campaign of busing migrants to Democrat-run cities to convey consideration to the circulate of unlawful immigrants into the US.
Johnson, who has served as Dallas’ mayor since 2019, made headlines in 2023 when he introduced he was switching from the Democrat celebration to the Republican, explaining his choice in a Wall Avenue Journal op-ed, “American cities want Republicans.”
Dallas, one of many high 10 largest cities within the US, noticed a major lower in crime after Johnson took workplace in 2019.
In keeping with the Related Press, Dallas is the biggest metropolis within the US to be led by a GOP mayor.
Johnson informed Fox Information Digital in 2021 he attributed that success to a few issues — a powerful police chief, having “a finances that displays public security being your metropolis’s high precedence” and making certain there’s “group buy-in” for crime discount.
“Mayor Johnson has made public security his high precedence in Dallas, and the town has now achieved a outstanding four-consecutive years of violent crime discount,” the mayor’s workplace informed Fox Information Digital.
“The mayor helps President Trump’s agenda for making America protected once more and believes cooperating with federal regulation enforcement to cease violent criminals — notably unlawful immigrants who haven’t any proper to be in our metropolis or in our nation — helps maintain Dallas protected.”
Whereas Johnson made his place clear on immigration enforcement, his stance differed from former DPD Interim Chief Michael Igo, who beforehand mentioned his division wouldn’t flip in or report anybody within the nation illegally who calls 911 for assist.
“The Dallas Police Division just isn’t helping any federal company on detaining folks which are both documented or undocumented within the metropolis of Dallas,” Igo beforehand mentioned to attendees at Familia Bethel Internacional church in Dallas, in keeping with CBS Information.
Igo additionally informed the parishioners that federal immigration officers mentioned no arrests or raids could be carried out in church buildings, faculties or hospitals, though he did say that unlawful immigrants with excellent warrants have been liable to deportation.
Comeaux, who additionally has a distinct tackle the problems than his predecessor, mentioned whereas he wouldn’t essentially name it aligning with President Donald Trump’s agenda, he mentioned his division would “do what’s proper by regulation enforcement.”
“If we are available contact with anybody that doesn’t have standing, we are going to name the correct federal company and allow them to deal with it,” Comeaux mentioned. “We’re not initiating any investigations. We’re not initiating any applications. So everybody ought to be happy to go together with their enterprise as regular.”
Comeaux reiterated that if any of theirfederal companions wanted help in any approach, they’d be there to help.
Comeaux, who has been on the federal facet of regulation enforcement for the previous few a long time, most just lately served because the particular agent in command of the DEA subject workplace in Houston.
He mentioned one among his largest focuses is working to get felons off the streets.
“Anybody that has a felony warrant, at any second, know that we might be those knocking at your door. It won’t be the mailman knocking at your door, it may be us. So when you have a felony warrant, we try to get you off the streets,” Comeaux warned.
“We’ll get you to the required courtroom that it is advisable be in. However we’re very aggressive in getting anybody off the road that has felony warrants. We’ll maintain everyone protected right here in Dallas,” he continued.
Comeaux added that one other function the town has in place to guard the general public is a digicam system.
“One wonderful thing about Dallas is we now have so many digicam programs in place. We see what’s taking place throughout the town and everybody wants to know that and know that in the event you’re on this space, in the event you commit crimes in Dallas, it’s very possible that we’re seeing you, we’re watching you, and we’re coming to get you,” he vowed.
Comeaux additionally issued a warning to anybody trying to convey violence to the town or break the regulation to suppose once more.
“Not on this metropolis. I’ve been a criminal offense fighter, I’ve been a protector for my total profession, ever since I used to be 21 years previous,” he mentioned. “Decide one other metropolis. Don’t come to Dallas, you’re not welcome.”
When requested what motivated Comeaux to go away the DEA’s workplace and get again into policing, he mirrored on an incident when he began his profession as a Houston police officer at 21.
“I’ll always remember these moments once I was working the streets, and I used to be capable of actually make a distinction. I used to be unable to assist an aged particular person at some point and that has actually caught with me for my total regulation enforcement profession,” the chief shared.
“And I at all times knew I wished to circle again to native regulation enforcement and I wished it to be in a metropolis that may actually be influential all through your complete United States and Dallas was a type of.”
Fox Information Digital’s Michael Dorgan, Louis Casiano, and Andrew Mark Miller contributed to this report.
