Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to enter into agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies to train officers to perform immigration enforcement functions under ICE supervision. These agreements are controversial because they blend local policing with federal immigration enforcement.
Three models exist: jail enforcement (officers interview inmates about immigration status), warrant service officers (officers execute federal immigration warrants), and task force officers (the broadest authority, allowing immigration enforcement during routine policing, not just at jails or on warrants). The Trump administration expanded the program from roughly 150 agreements under Biden to over 1,000 by September 2025.
Civil rights advocates argue that 287(g) programs strain trust between local police and immigrant communities, since immigrants become afraid to report crimes or cooperate with police. Supporters argue the program efficiently identifies deportable immigrants. The programs operate under federal supervision and require training, but local implementation varies widely.
Section 287(g) determines whether local police become immigration agents. It shapes immigration enforcement capacity and affects whether immigrants trust local law enforcement.
People sometimes think 287(g) requires local police to enforce immigration law. Actually, it's voluntary—jurisdictions decide whether to participate. But once they do, officers are trained and authorized to make immigration arrests.
Section 287(g) determines whether local police become immigration agents. It shapes immigration enforcement capacity and affects whether immigrants trust local law enforcement.
People sometimes think 287(g) requires local police to enforce immigration law. Actually, it's voluntary—jurisdictions decide whether to participate. But once they do, officers are trained and authorized to make immigration arrests.