AUSTIN (LN) — Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton on Wednesday demanded that Dallas County Sheriff Marian Brown enter into a formal agreement with ICE to assist in federal immigration enforcement, warning that the county’s refusal to comply with Texas Senate Bill 8 will not be tolerated.
Paxton’s office opened an investigation into the Dallas County Sheriff’s Office to ensure the agency is following SB 8, which became effective on Jan. 1, 2026. The law requires every county jail to enter into a formal agreement with ICE, authorizing state officers to perform the functions of a federal ICE officer in the investigation, apprehension, or detention of undocumented immigrants.
In a letter sent Wednesday, Paxton noted that Brown has publicly repudiated the statute. On Oct. 24, 2025, after the law was passed, Brown declared that “no additional efforts” would be put towards such an agreement. As of Wednesday, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department had not reported any attempts to codify a deal with ICE.
“I will not allow the people of Dallas County to suffer because the Sheriff refuses to work with ICE to keep violent illegals off our streets,” Paxton said in a statement. “Texas law requires that sheriffs seek a formal agreement with ICE to help stop illegal immigration. My office will ensure that the Dallas County Sheriff complies with the law and that ICE is assisted to the fullest extent possible under the law.”
Paxton has ordered Brown to request and enter a 287(g) agreement with ICE and report back to the Office of the Attorney General before June 1, 2026.
Paxton’s office noted that sheriffs in El Paso, Bexar, and Harris counties have either finalized agreements with ICE or are of negotiating them. The AG’s office stated it will use “every tool available” to secure compliance with SB 8.