Key Takeaways
• ICE signed 514 new 287(g) agreements in early 2025, reaching 649 active partnerships nationwide.
• 287(g) authorizes local police to enforce federal immigration laws via Task Force, Jail, and Warrant models.
• Expansion causes over 1,300 arrests, raising immigrant fear, civil rights concerns, and challenges to community trust.
A Record Surge: Local Police Forces Deepen Partnerships with ICE in 2025
In early June 2025, the United States 🇺🇸 saw a dramatic shift in immigration enforcement. ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), the federal agency responsible for enforcing immigration laws, announced a record expansion of its partnerships with local police across the country. Since January, ICE has signed 514 new 287(g) agreements—a special type of partnership that allows local law enforcement to help enforce federal immigration laws. This brings the total number of active agreements to 649, with another 79 pending. These changes reflect a major push by President Trump’s administration to increase mass deportations and use local police as a key part of immigration enforcement.
This article explains what these partnerships mean, how they work, and why they matter to immigrants, local communities, and law enforcement. We’ll look at the latest developments, the different models of 287(g) agreements, and the real-world effects on people’s lives.
What Are 287(g) Agreements and Why Are They Growing?
287(g) agreements are named after Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act. This law, created in 1996, lets ICE give local police the power to enforce certain federal immigration laws. In practice, this means local officers can question, detain, and even arrest people they suspect of being in the country without legal status.
The Trump administration has made expanding these agreements a top priority in 2025. According to analysis from VisaVerge.com, the number of active 287(g) partnerships has grown from just 135 at the start of the year to 649 by June. This is the largest expansion in the program’s history.
Why is this happening now? President Trump and his team, including “Border Czar” Tom Homan and DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, have called for “the largest mass deportation in history.” They believe that working with local police will help ICE find and remove more people who are in the United States 🇺🇸 without permission. They also argue that local officers know their communities best and can help keep them safe.
How Do 287(g) Partnerships Work?
ICE’s 287(g) program now operates under three main models:
1. Task Force Model
– Local police are deputized (given special powers) to question, detain, and arrest people suspected of immigration violations during regular police work, like traffic stops.
– This model was brought back in 2025 after being stopped in 2012 because of concerns about racial profiling.
2. Jail Enforcement Model
– Officers work inside jails. They can question people who have been arrested for other reasons about their immigration status and issue ICE “holds” to keep them in jail for ICE to pick up.
3. Warrant Service Officer Model
– Officers can serve ICE administrative warrants inside jails but cannot question people about their status.
Each agreement spells out which model will be used and what local officers can do. ICE provides training, which now lasts only one week instead of the previous four. The federal government is also working to protect local officers from lawsuits related to immigration enforcement.
Where Are These Partnerships Happening?
The reach of the 287(g) program is now wider than ever. Agreements cover 40 states, with especially high participation in Florida, where every county jail and more than 20 agencies are involved. The program now includes not just sheriff’s offices and city police, but also state highway patrols and even some university police departments.
Here are five local police forces currently partnering with ICE under the 287(g) program:
- Tennessee Highway Patrol (Task Force Model)
- Recently worked with ICE in Nashville, leading to over 1,300 arrests in a single operation. Many arrested had no prior criminal record.
- Miami-Dade Police Department, Florida
- Uses the Jail Enforcement Model and is part of Florida’s statewide participation.
- Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office, Florida
- Active in both jail and task force models.
- Gwinnett County Sheriff’s Office, Georgia
- A long-time 287(g) partner, recently renewed and expanded its agreement.
- York County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania
- Signed a new Task Force Model agreement in June 2025.
The full list of participating agencies is updated regularly on the official ICE 287(g) program page.
How Do Local Police Join the 287(g) Program?
The process for a local police force to join the 287(g) program is straightforward:
- Agency Inquiry: The local police or sheriff’s office contacts ICE to express interest.
- Evaluation: ICE reviews the agency’s ability to participate. In 2025, the focus has shifted to signing up as many agencies as possible, sometimes at the expense of careful review.
- Memorandum of Agreement (MOA): ICE and the agency sign a formal agreement that spells out the rules and responsibilities.
- Training: Local officers receive ICE training, now shortened to just one week.
- Implementation: Deputized officers begin enforcing immigration laws, with varying levels of ICE oversight.
What Are the Real-World Effects?
The rapid growth of 287(g) agreements has major effects on many groups:
For Immigrants and Their Families
– Increased Fear: Many immigrants, even those with legal status, are afraid to call the police, go to the hospital, or send their children to school. They worry that any contact with local police could lead to deportation.
– Family Separation: More people are being detained and deported, sometimes for minor offenses or even without any criminal record.
– Civil Rights Concerns: There are growing reports of racial profiling, where people are stopped or questioned because of how they look or speak.
For Local Police and Communities
– Community Trust: Some police chiefs and mayors say these partnerships make it harder to build trust with immigrant communities. When people are afraid of the police, they are less likely to report crimes or cooperate with investigations.
– Public Safety: Critics argue that aggressive immigration enforcement can actually make communities less safe, because crimes go unreported and witnesses are afraid to come forward.
For Law Enforcement Agencies
– Resources and Authority: Some agencies welcome the extra resources and authority that come with 287(g) agreements. Others worry about the cost, the risk of lawsuits, and the impact on their relationship with the community.
– Legal Protection: The Trump administration is working to protect officers from lawsuits, but legal challenges are ongoing in several places.
For the Federal Government
– Force Multiplier: ICE sees these partnerships as a way to greatly increase its reach and effectiveness, especially as it pushes for mass deportations.
Recent Operations and Controversies
In the past month, ICE and local police have carried out high-profile joint operations. For example, the Tennessee Highway Patrol, working with ICE and about 20 Florida agencies, made over 1,300 arrests in Nashville. Many of those arrested had no prior criminal record, raising questions about fairness and civil rights.
Some local officials, like Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell, have spoken out against these operations. They argue that they harm community trust and make people less safe. Advocacy groups like the ACLU and the American Immigration Council warn that the revived Task Force Model has a history of racial profiling and civil rights violations.
Policy Shifts and Legal Challenges
Some areas that once limited cooperation with ICE are now changing their policies. For example, Fairfax County, Virginia, recently removed rules that stopped police from working with ICE. This has alarmed immigrant advocates, who worry about increased arrests and deportations.
At the same time, the Trump administration has made it easier for local agencies to join the program by reducing training time and promising legal protection for officers. However, lawsuits and investigations are ongoing in several places, and advocacy groups are pushing back.
Historical Context: How Did We Get Here?
The 287(g) program was created in 1996, but it has changed over time:
- Obama Administration: In 2012, President Obama scaled back the Task Force Model because of concerns about racial profiling. The focus shifted to jail-based enforcement, where officers only questioned people already in jail.
- Trump Administration (2025): President Trump has revived and rapidly expanded all models, especially the Task Force Model. This is part of a larger plan for mass deportations and stricter immigration enforcement.
Multiple Perspectives: Supporters and Critics
Federal Government: Officials like President Trump and Secretary Kristi Noem say that local partnerships help ICE do its job and keep communities safe. They argue that local officers know their areas best and can help find people who are in the country without permission.
Local Law Enforcement: Some agencies support the program because it gives them more tools and resources. Others are worried about the impact on community trust and public safety.
Immigrant Advocates: Groups like the ACLU and the American Immigration Council warn that the program leads to racial profiling, civil rights violations, and harm to public safety. They say that people are afraid to report crimes or seek help.
Community Leaders: Some mayors and local officials have spoken out against ICE operations, saying they hurt community trust. Others comply with the program because of state laws or political pressure.
What’s Next for 287(g) Partnerships?
The Trump administration has signaled plans to keep expanding the program and make it even easier for local agencies to join. At the same time, lawsuits, congressional investigations, and advocacy campaigns are challenging the program’s legality and impact. If courts find that civil rights abuses are happening, or if a future administration changes course, the program could be scaled back again.
Practical Guidance for Immigrants and Community Members
If you live in an area with a 287(g) agreement, it’s important to know your rights:
- You have the right to remain silent if questioned by police or ICE about your immigration status.
- You do not have to open your door to ICE or police unless they have a warrant signed by a judge.
- You can ask to speak to a lawyer before answering any questions.
- If you are arrested, ask if your local police department is part of the 287(g) program.
For more information on your rights and the latest updates, visit the ICE 287(g) program page or the American Immigration Council’s fact sheet.
Key Takeaways
- ICE has rapidly expanded its partnerships with local police in 2025, signing 514 new 287(g) agreements since January.
- These agreements allow local officers to help enforce federal immigration laws, using three main models: Task Force, Jail Enforcement, and Warrant Service.
- The expansion has led to more arrests, increased fear in immigrant communities, and concerns about civil rights and public safety.
- Supporters say the program helps keep communities safe, while critics warn of racial profiling and harm to community trust.
- The future of the program is uncertain, with ongoing legal and political challenges.
For those affected, staying informed and knowing your rights is more important than ever. Local police and ICE partnerships are changing the landscape of immigration enforcement in the United States 🇺🇸, and the effects are being felt in communities across the country.
Learn Today
ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) → Federal agency enforcing U.S. immigration laws and regulations across the country.
287(g) Agreements → Legal pacts allowing local police to enforce specific federal immigration laws with ICE authorization.
Task Force Model → A 287(g) model empowering local police to detain and arrest immigration suspects during routine patrols.
Jail Enforcement Model → A model where officers interrogate detainees’ immigration status and issue ICE holds inside jails.
Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) → Formal document outlining the terms and responsibilities of 287(g) partnerships between ICE and agencies.
This Article in a Nutshell
In 2025, ICE rapidly expanded local law enforcement partnerships through 287(g) agreements. These agreements empower local police to enforce immigration laws, sparking community fear and civil rights debates amid rising deportations and legal challenges across 40 states with significant impacts on immigrants and public safety.
— By VisaVerge.com
