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Fact check: What role do local police departments play in federal immigration enforcement?
1. Summary of the results
Local police departments' role in federal immigration enforcement has dramatically expanded through the 287(g) program, which allows local law enforcement to function as federal immigration officers. The program has grown from 135 agreements in 2024 to between 456-650 agreements across 38-40 states by April 2025 [1] [2]. This expansion includes three main partnership models: Jail Enforcement, Task Force, and Warrant Service Officer [3]. Under these agreements, local police can:
- Interview people to determine immigration status
- Issue immigration detainers
- Assist ICE in locating and detaining immigrants
- Issue notices to appear in federal immigration court [4] [5]
2. Missing context/alternative viewpoints
There are significant concerns and historical context missing from the original question:
*Historical Resistance:
- Historically, 42% of local departments have actively restricted officers from enforcing immigration law [6]
- Many departments view immigration enforcement as outside their core mission [6]
Professional Concerns:
Law enforcement professionals argue against this involvement due to:
- Time and resource constraints
- Potential loss of community cooperation
- Risk of increasing crime by reducing community trust
- Research suggesting immigrants actually have lower crime rates [6]
**3. Potential misinformation/bias in the original statement**
The question's neutrality masks significant competing interests:
Federal Government Interests:
- ICE benefits from expanded local involvement due to limited federal staff and resources [2]
- The current administration, through Attorney General Jeff Sessions, uses funding threats to compel local cooperation [6]
Local Department Concerns*:
- Risk of ethnic profiling
- Alienation of immigrant communities
- Reduction in public trust
- Traditional autonomy in local policing approaches [6]
The dramatic expansion of the program (315 departments signing on to more aggressive approaches) [7] suggests a shift in power dynamics between federal and local authorities that deserves scrutiny.