Yesterday's Substack Live dug into one of the most underreported stories in immigration enforcement right now: the explosive growth of 287(g) agreements. We've hit a major milestone with 1,000 active agreements across the country—a sevenfold increase since January that represents a fundamental shift in how immigration enforcement operates at the local level.
I covered several key themes in the discussion that are worth your time if you're trying to understand what's happening with immigration enforcement beyond the headlines:
The mechanics and history of 287(g) programs, including why this 1996 law sat mostly dormant until after 9/11, and how the three different types of agreements create very different enforcement environments in communities across the country
Why the task force model is such a big deal, particularly since it was eliminated in 2012 due to civil rights concerns and is now driving half of all new agreements—this isn't just a numbers game, it's a qualitative change in how local policing intersects with immigration enforcement
The geographic and political patterns behind where these agreements are concentrated, including how state mandates in places like Florida are forcing participation from agencies that would otherwise opt out, and why some states with similar laws aren't seeing the same uptake
The funding announcement that promises to fully reimburse local agencies for 287(g) officer salaries and benefits, which could remove the biggest barrier to local participation and accelerate this trend even further
The broader context of record detention numbers and massive budget increases that suggest we're only seeing the beginning of this enforcement expansion, not the peak
Practical implications for communities and what options exist for local pushback, since these agreements fundamentally change how routine police interactions can lead to deportation proceedings
The conversation also touched on some of the more nuanced aspects of how sheriffs approach these agreements differently from police departments, the role of electoral politics in driving participation, and why understanding your local enforcement landscape matters more than ever.
If you want to understand how immigration enforcement is quietly reshaping local law enforcement across the country, this discussion covers the key dynamics at play. The transcript gives you the full context and data that's hard to find elsewhere, plus my take on what these trends mean for the months ahead.
See the original post here: ICE's 287(g) Enforcement Program Reaches 1,000 Active Agreements Across 40 States.
Thank you Sarah Towle, Adam Sawyer, Julie D, Amali Tower, Gladwyn d'Souza, and many others for tuning into my live video! Join me for my next live video in the app.
Join me in celebrating over 10,000 subscribers and over 300 Substack posts. This newsletter is only possible because of your support. If you believe in keeping this work free and open to the public, join the 100% of surveyed paid subscribers who said this newsletter is a good steward of their investment. You can read more about the mission and focus of this newsletter and learn why, after three years, I finally decided to offer a paid option.
