Report finds ICE-linked program now has over 29,000 deputized local officers

The 287(g) program, which authorizes state and local officers to perform immigration-enforcement duties under ICE oversight, has grown to more than 29,000 deputized officers—more than twice the number reported eight months earlier and far exceeding ICE’s 11,600 deportation officers. The program’s Task Force Model allows local police and sheriff’s departments to make immigration arrests during routine duties, with participating agencies eligible for federal support for equipment and other enforcement costs. FWD.us found that 287(g) agencies made more than 47,000 arrests from January 2025 through August 2026, with Florida and Texas accounting for about half; the group’s policy vice president says the expansion reflects a shift toward less conspicuous enforcement through routine stops, while the Department of Homeland Security describes the program as a tool to combat crime and illegal immigration. Some large Latino-majority cities have resisted the most aggressive model, amid concerns about the effects of involving local police in federal immigration enforcement.