Report Finds ICE-Local Police Immigration Partnerships Have Doubled Since 2025

A new report finds that partnerships between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and local police have doubled since 2025, increasing local immigration arrests nationwide.^[1]

The report says the expansion is driven by the 287(g) program and a more aggressive Task Force Model that deputizes local officers to make immigration arrests and channels federal funding to participating agencies.^[1] Immigrant-rights groups criticized the report's findings, saying the shift will expand deportations and erode trust between police and immigrant communities.^[1]

Between January 2025 and October 2026, more than 29,000 state and local officers were deputized under the 287(g) program. An analysis estimates more than 47,000 immigration arrests were made through 287(g) partnerships from January 2025 through August 2026, with about half occurring in Florida and Texas. In April 2026, Wyoming's 287(g) officers accounted for roughly 77 percent of immigration arrests, while New Hampshire and Oklahoma saw shares near 60 percent and 50 percent respectively in mid-2026. The Task Force Model gives local agencies authority to make immigration arrests and provides federal funds for equipment and enforcement when agencies maintain active participation.

Report authors and advocates warned the growth could shift enforcement responsibility from federal agents to local police, altering policing practices and chilling cooperation with law enforcement among immigrants.^[1]

1. NPR