Keller City Council unanimously authorizes ICE partnership during Tuesday meeting

KELLER, Texas — The City of Keller will enter a partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after a Tuesday night vote.

The Keller City Council unanimously voted in favor of authorizing the city’s entry into ICE’s 287(g) Program, which the city’s mayor hinted at joining in July. Keller is now the first city in Tarrant County and the second in the state to join the program. 

The 287(g) Program, also known as the Warrant Service Officer Model Program, is a partnership between ICE and local law enforcement agencies that allows certain trained local officers to perform some immigration enforcement duties, like checking a person’s immigration status after an arrest and starting the process for possible deportation.

The program is meant to help ICE identify and remove undocumented immigrants who are already in custody by local law agencies. 

The partnership means Keller police officers will be trained and authorized by ICE to conduct immigration status screenings when people are arrested. It would not allow officers to make immigration-related arrests while on patrols or conduct interrogations regarding immigration status.

“Opting into this program will mean minor adjustments to the responsibilities of our detention officers, but our department’s priorities and philosophies will remain unchanged,” the Keller Police Department said in a statement. “Our employees are committed to upholding the rule of law and serving the community with respect and empathy. That includes those within our care at the Keller Regional Detention Center.”

Several Keller residents, ranging from an 18-year-old high school graduate to a 94-year-old first-generation citizen, attended Tuesday night’s meeting and spoke out in opposition to the partnership.

“I’m opposed to this increase in affiliation with ICE,” one speaker said. “It’s designed to associate the City of Keller with fear — for its citizens to feel threatened.”

Outside of the ICE association, residents also brought forward concerns about adding responsibilities to the local authorities.

“We have an excellent police force, albeit very small and underpaid,” another speaker said. “And I agree with the speakers here tonight that we should continue on as we are, hopefully give our law enforcement better salaries, increase the number of law enforcement… and maintain the community that we’ve had and move forward.”

Ahead of the vote, Mayor Armin Mizani cited Senate Bill 8 and the ICE protests in Los Angeles earlier this year as his reason for being in favor of the partnership.

“Bottom line for me is we’re gonna do what’s right, and we’re gonna stand for what’s right,” Mayor Mizani said. “And if you have any questions about who to blame as far as why cities like Keller are looking at opting into this or why the governor and the legislature passed SB 8 that got signed into law not too long ago, you can blame the rioters in Los Angeles, you can blame the criminals.”

Mizani’s comments were met with a reaction from the crowd, and the mayor instructed some of the individuals to be removed from the meeting.

Other council members noted that the move is a step towards government efficiency.

“This program that we’re considering tonight does not put any additional work time… on our officers,” councilmember Tag Green said. “All we are doing is skipping one step in what currently happens, and, uh, and saving uh a little bit of manpower…We are not becoming deputies of Immigration and Customs Enforcement; we are simply simplifying and streamlining a process that we already abide by.”