ICE expands the 287(g) program under Bush as Sheriff Joe Arpaio becomes its most prominent user

By October 2007, ICE had 29 active 287(g) agreements with state and local agencies, up from a single agreement in 2002. Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, certified under 287(g) that year, became the program's most prominent user, conducting 11 immigration sweeps within five months in Phoenix. A civil rights lawsuit filed in 2007 alleged unlawful racial profiling, and the Government Accountability Office later documented inconsistent oversight and performance goals across the program.