ORDER NO._____________
DATE:

February 7, 2017_

STATE OF TEXAS

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COUNTY OF DALLAS

§

BE IT REMEMBERED, at a regular meeting of the Commissioners Court of Dallas County, Texas, held on
the 7th day of February, 2017 on a motion made by Dr. Elba Garcia, Commissioner of District 4 and seconded
by _Clay Lewis Jenkins, County Judge , the following Resolution was adopted:
WHEREAS

immigrants and refugees are a vital part of the civic, economic and social life of Dallas County. We
are one of the most diverse and fastest growing counties in the United States; and

WHEREAS

we strive to make Dallas County a safe and welcoming community that stands on principles of
rejecting racial profiling and racially motivated brutality and hate crimes that impacts minority and
underrepresented communities, including Black, Brown, Asian, LGBTQ, immigrant and refugee
community members. We expect our law enforcement agencies to respond to the needs of our
community and to respect, protect and serve all residents, documented and undocumented, to ensure
safety for all marginalized people; and

WHEREAS

providing a path to citizenship for undocumented immigrants would be a benefit to the United States
and Dallas County. Undocumented residents of Dallas County are highly employed, many in vital
industries such as construction, manufacturing, and service. Approximately 34% of the undocumented
residents of Dallas County are homeowners (according to a Migration Policy Institute analysis);
undocumented residents of Texas paid approximately $178 million in property taxes and $1.4 billion
in sales taxes in 2010, (as cited in a 2016 Texas Public Policy Foundation study); this shows that
undocumented residents of Dallas County contribute to the economy of our community with both their
labor and their disposable income, as well as being part of our community tax base; and

WHEREAS

according to reports filed with the Texas Commission on Jail Standards, between December 2012 and
October 2015, the policy of detaining undocumented immigrants in Texas county jails costs $210
million, but the federal government only reimbursed Texas county jails about $4 million of these costs,
diverting county resources away from creating economically stable, healthy and safe neighborhoods.

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Dallas County Commissioners Court supports our immigrant,
refugee and marginalized persons, documented and undocumented, as integral members of our community. We further
resolve that:
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Dallas County will advance the dignity, and the civil and human rights of all documented and undocumented
persons and stand against racism, religious discrimination and persecution, and xenophobia of all kinds; and
Government must be accountable to all individuals and communities it serves, documented and undocumented
and must not be a tool for oppression or intimidation; and
All individuals must have the opportunity to improve quality of life for themselves, their families, and their
communities, regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, religion, documentation status, gender or sexual
orientation and Dallas County must provide an inclusive, welcoming space for all persons in order to provide
such opportunities; and
Dallas County seeks to ensure safe communities that recognize, respect, protect and rely on all individuals
residing in the County and calls on local law enforcement agencies to end nonessential collaborations with
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); and
Dallas County furthermore calls on local law enforcement agencies to fully and vigorously enforce hate crimes
statutes when crimes are committed against a person based on identity or documentation status; and
Dallas County is a welcoming community and will stand with municipalities and anchor institutions such as
Independent School Districts and hospitals throughout the County, Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and
any groups aiding refugees and immigrants, to preserve safety and security.

DONE IN OPEN COURT this the 7th day of February 2017.

____________________________ ______________________________ _______________________

Clay Lewis Jenkins, County Judge

Dr. Theresa M. Daniel, District 1

__________________________

John Wiley Price, District 3

Mike Cantrell, District 2

_________________________
Dr. Elba Garcia, District 4