Irving Mayor Herbert Gears met with Mexico's representative in North Texas on Monday and later said his city will pay attention to all allegations that illegal immigrants have been unfairly treated during traffic stops.

Mexican Consul Enrique Hubbard Urrea said he presented Mr. Gears the details on more than a dozen reports of mistreatment, including incidents in which Mexican and Salvadoran immigrants were pulled over and later jailed or subjected to federal detention and removal proceedings.

Mr. Hubbard said he was concerned with why the traffic stops occurred.

"We have had very credible cases where someone was stopped for nothing really," Mr. Hubbard said. "And then after that ... the police say it's because your sticker was expired. I doubt that they could see ... [the sticker] as a car goes by."

Mr. Gears called the meeting with Mr. Hubbard "extremely productive."

"The important thing is that we have an open dialogue and that we be attentive to every single complaint," Mr. Gears said. "We don't want one injustice to be suffered by anyone."

The meeting reflects the growing pressure as local governments – absent federal action on illegal immigration – struggle to deal with a changing population.

Mr. Gears' city of 212,000 is one-third foreign-born. The largest bloc is Latino. Last fall, the city stepped up monitoring of city jails with agents from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, and more than 200 illegal immigrants are spun monthly into removal proceedings.

Among specific cases raised by Mexican officials are cases in which Latino immigrant drivers are unable to provide valid proof that they're in the U.S. legally during traffic stops.

Among Mr. Hubbard's claims: Family members of illegal immigrants have been asked for their documentation when they visit loved ones in the jail.

Illegal presence in the U.S. is an administrative offense rather than a criminal offense. But once an illegal immigrant commits a more serious offense, involving time in the city jail, they face tougher scrutiny of their immigration status – at least in Irving.

Last fall, Mr. Gears instituted a program he calls the "24-7 criminal alien program," which involves communication with ICE agents around the clock. That closer working relationship stops short of official participation in a training program for local officers who work with federal immigration officials.

"Our Police Department has a lot more important things to do on a daily basis," Mr. Gears said.