Public Interest Investigation

Your sheriff
may work for ICE.

Under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, local law enforcement agencies can sign agreements with ICE authorizing their officers to perform immigration enforcement. The program has expanded dramatically since 2017. We're tracking every agreement.

1,558

participating agencies

states

287(g) agencies, by program model

Click any dot to view the agency's agreement and records.

Jail Enforcement Task Force Warrant Service

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What each model authorizes

The three 287(g) program models grant different scopes of authority to local officers. See the glossary for key definitions.

Jail Enforcement

Jail Enforcement Model

Officers screen people booked into local jails for immigration status.

Participating officers may issue civil detainers — requests for jails to hold people beyond their scheduled release so ICE can take custody. JEM operates inside detention facilities only, not in the community. It is the oldest and most common 287(g) model.

Task Force

Task Force Model

Officers work alongside ICE agents in the community to make immigration arrests.

TFM grants the broadest authority of the three models. Participating officers can stop, question, and arrest individuals in the community — not only those already in custody. They operate jointly with ICE field agents on targeted enforcement operations.

Warrant Service

Warrant Service Officer

Officers are authorized to serve administrative warrants on people ICE has already identified.

Introduced around 2020, the WSO model is narrower than JEM or TFM. Officers may only serve administrative warrants on specific individuals ICE has already identified for removal. They cannot initiate independent enforcement or conduct community operations.

Search agencies

1,558 agencies across 40 states

Autauga County Sheriff's Office

Alabama

Jail EnforcementTask ForceWarrant Service

Baldwin County Sheriff's Office