"Agreements allowing local police forces to collaborate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have multiplied at an unprecedented rate. An analysis of official data by FWD.us, a nonpartisan organization that advocates for comprehensive immigration and criminal justice reform, shows that 1,168 police departments had officers enrolled to assist ICE at the end of January, up from 135 during the Biden administration and 150 at the end of Donald Trump's first term."
"Section 287(g), created in 1996, authorizes the federal government to delegate certain functions of federal immigration agents to state and local police. Under this scheme, local officers can identify, question, and detain individuals suspected of being in the country without authorization and transfer them to federal custody. ICE maintains that the program enhances the safety and security of our nation's communities and allows agents to protect the homeland through the arrest and removal of aliens who undermine the safety of our nation's communities and the integrity of U.S. immigration laws."
Local cooperation with ICE has expanded rapidly, with 1,168 police departments enrolling officers to assist ICE by the end of January and 1,415 memoranda of understanding under section 287(g) across 40 states as of February 13, 2026. Nearly 150 new local agencies joined in early 2026. Section 287(g) permits delegation of federal immigration functions to state and local police, enabling officers to identify, question, detain suspected unauthorized immigrants, and transfer them to federal custody. The Task Force Model allows immigration powers during routine patrols. ICE asserts the program enhances safety while political controversy and community tensions persist.
Read at english.elpais.com
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