8 November 13 - 19, 2025 dallasobserver.com DALLAS OBSERVER Classified | MusiC | dish | Culture | unfair Park | Contents conversations about finances and next steps behind closed doors. “The fix is in, and it has been for a long time,” Kingston said. “Until [city] staff dem- onstrates some sort of responsibility in re- gards to Dallas real estate, they don’t need to be making any more deals.” A majority of speakers urged Ridley, Mendelsohn and Roth to do what they can to slow the conversation about City Hall’s future, but it is unclear what will happen next, even if that slowdown occurs. Fans of the building have questioned the nearly $200 million gap in the estimate of what it will cost to fix up City Hall, but during the briefing, Assistant City Manager Donzell Gipson warned that the unclear price re- flects the general uncertainty about the building’s condition. For instance, that cost estimate does not even factor in the potential for asbestos in the building, which was constructed in the 1970s, simply because no one knows if there is any asbestos in the first place. (Many con- struction materials used throughout the 1970s contained asbestos.) The horseshoe’s holdouts have ex- pressed skepticism about the accuracy of staff’s cost estimates, but even if they even- tually come back on the lower end, there is still no clear answer about where the city will find $100 million. There are some un- encumbered funds from the 2017 bond that could potentially be put to use, but other- wise, City Hall will have to wait for a new bond program to allocate the funds. That could take years and would require voter approval. Still, if the rally is any indication, there would be support for that option. “How do you know where you’re going if you don’t know where you came from?” said resident Raven Leday. “The increasing [cost of maintenance] is a red flag. We have all these different initiatives coming to Dallas. Are we building a culture, or growing a pocketbook?” ▼ COURTS DRAGGING ON FIGHT WILL CONTINUE AFTER APPELLATE COURT VACATES A RULING THAT THE TEXAS DRAG BAN WAS UNCONSTITUTIONAL. BY KELLY DEARMORE T exas Attorney General Ken Paxton celebrated another win on Thursday when a federal appellate court cleared the way for the state to finally en- force a law prohibiting minors from attend- ing events where drag performances take place. Senate Bill 12 was passed in 2023 follow- ing the 88th Texas Legislature. Also known as “the drag ban,” the bill was designed to ban sexually oriented performances where minors could be present. Drag shows are not explicitly mentioned in the bill, but “sexu- ally explicit performances” are, including ones “in which someone is nude or appeals to the ‘prurient interest in sex.’” Critics have argued that such vague lan- guage leaves room for drag performers to be targeted without specifically listing them in the bill. However, in 2023, the law was ruled unconstitutional by a district court, which issued an injunction that was vacated last week. “I will always work to shield our children from exposure to erotic and inappropriate sexually oriented performances,” Paxton said in a press release following the court’s invalidation of the injunction that kept the state from enforcing SB 12. “It is an honor to have defended this law, ensuring that our state remains safe for families and children, and I look forward to continuing to vigor- ously defend it on remand before the district court.” The panel of judges ruled that the law was blocked prematurely. According to a re- port from Bloomberg Law, “the Fifth Circuit invalidated the injunction granted by a lower court, pending a review of all applica- tions of the law to see which are unconstitu- tional and which are lawful.” “The district court did not conduct this analysis, nor did the parties brief the proper standard or adequately develop the record,” read the opinion from Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt. “Consequently, we are un- equipped to undertake this task in the first instance, and remand for the district court to do so.” Under the law, business owners can be fined $10,000 for hosting sexually explicit performances in front of kids. Performers can also be charged with a Class A misde- meanor, which could result in up to a year in jail, or a $4,000 fine. The ACLU of Texas brought the case that halted SB 12’s progress in 2023. Although Paxton is claiming victory, the group says their fight isn’t over. “Today’s decision is heartbreaking for drag performers, small businesses, and ev- ery Texan who believes in free expression. Drag is not a crime. It is art, joy, and resis- tance — a vital part of our culture and our communities,” reads a joint statement to the Observer from the ACLU of Texas and the plaintiffs of The Woodlands Pride v. Paxton. “We are devastated by this setback, but we are not defeated. Together, we will keep advocating for a Texas where everyone — in- cluding drag artists and LGBTQIA+ people — can live freely, authentically, and without fear. The First Amendment protects all artis- tic expression, including drag. We will not stop until this unconstitutional law is struck down for good.” ▼ IMMIGRATION DALLAS TO ICE: DO YOUR OWN WORK DPD CHIEF SAYS REJECTED $25M ICE PARTNERSHIP REQUIRED 50 ARRESTS PER DAY. BY EMMA RUBY D allas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux told the City Council on Thursday that the $25 million partnership of- fered by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Agency (ICE) would have re- quired the department to arrest at least 50 undocumented immigrants each day to re- ceive payment. Comeaux stated that the quota was shared with him during a phone call conversation about the program, although a representative from ICE denied that the initiative comes with an arrest requirement. In October, Co- meaux told the Community Police Oversight Board that he’d rejected a $25 million offer for the Dallas Police Department to join the 297(g) program, which grants local law en- forcement authorities jurisdiction over fed- eral immigration enforcement. In response, Dallas Mayor Eric Johnson called for a joint hearing between the Public Safety and Government Efficiency Commit- tees, suggesting that policy decisions, espe- cially those that come with a paycheck, should be made by “elected policymakers af- ter receiving public input.” Addressing the committees on Thursday afternoon, Comeaux defended his decision by stating that a 287(g) partnership would “make no sense” for Dallas because the program would require as many as 250 DPD officers to be reassigned from their regular duties to take over ICE responsibil- ities “all day every day.” Comeaux said that such a change in personnel would have ramifications on 911 response times, com- munity engagement and drops in violent crime. He told council members that a 287(g) partnership would result in hundreds of Dallas Police officers spending their days traveling to fast food restaurants and hard- ware stores “trying to find illegal immi- grants to meet [ICE’s] quota” rather than carrying out local law enforcement duties. Comeaux also voiced fiscal concerns, stating that while the 287(g) program reim- burses regular hours worked by officers who participate in the partnership, it would not cover the overtime hours required to staff positions left vacant by officers focus- ing on immigration enforcement. “I sat back, I looked at all of the great things that are happening in Dallas, and it’s not the program for us. It is not going to make Dallas any safer,” Comeaux said. “This program would not help us in any kind of way.” Public comments revealed that many Dallasites were upset by the potential part- nership. Nearly 70 speakers emphasized that such an agreement would be detrimen- tal to the public’s trust in local law enforce- ment. “This is not just about business or poli- tics; this is about community,” said speaker Martha Luis. Several referred to the $25 million of- fered by ICE as “blood money,” and sug- gested that the bolstering of the Dallas Police Department’s funding in the latest city budget rendered that money unneces- sary. “People are actively getting kidnapped by ICE while they are trying to do the right thing,” said Jerry Figueroa, an Oak Cliff business owner. “Let’s not forget that this country is made of immigrants. My blood has been here for 20,000 years, so who is more American?” In an interview with CBS News, Johnson said he wanted “to understand what exactly it is that we are being asked to do by ICE.” However, several speakers expressed frus- tration that the mayor was not present dur- ing the meeting. While the mayor does not typically attend committee gatherings, some speakers felt that his attendance at the joint meeting would have been appropri- ate. Council member Jaime Resendez re- buked Johnson’s call for the meeting, accusing the mayor of engaging in “reckless, self-serving leadership,” and “political prov- ocation.” Other speakers criticized his record on immigration, stating their belief that John- son’s interest in considering the 287(g) pro- gram was more political than financial. Last November, Johnson appeared on Fox News and expressed his support for President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown, stating that Dallas officials would “stand by” the president. “I am disappointed but not surprised that Mayor Johnson did not grace us with his presence,” said speaker Micaela Wat- kins. “Eric Johnson wants to be accepted by the [Trump] administration. He is not here today because he is already planning his next move.” In June, the Texas Legislature passed Senate Bill 8, which will require Dennis Jansen A lower court’s 2023 ruling that the Texas drag ban was unconstitutional was vacated. Unfair Park from p6 >> p10
