Local Police Execute 47,000 Immigration Arrests as Deputization Doubles

The number of state and local law enforcement officers deputized by Immigration and Customs Enforcement has doubled in eight months, reaching more than 29,000. This figure surpasses the 11,600 deportation officers directly employed by the federal agency, according to a report released Tuesday by the immigration reform group FWD.us.

The group analyzed public records from the Department of Homeland Security and data requested by the Deportation Data Project, a research initiative based at UC Berkeley and UCLA. The data covers the period from January 2025 through October 2026. Felicity Rose, vice president of research and policy at FWD.us, stated that these partnerships serve as a primary mechanism for the current administration's enforcement strategy.

Rose explained that the administration has shifted away from high-profile urban raids in cities like Chicago and Minneapolis. Instead, it relies on routine interactions such as highway stops conducted by local officers. The most common agreement, known as the Task Force Model, grants local police and sheriff's departments the authority to make immigration arrests. In exchange for maintaining active participation in enforcement, these agencies receive federal funding for vehicles, equipment, and other resources.

Florida and Texas account for approximately half of the 47,000 immigration arrests made through 287(g) between January 2025 and August 2026. Governors in both states have mandated that local police join the program. However, the report identified sharp increases in states not traditionally associated with aggressive enforcement. In Wyoming, deputized officers made 77% of all immigration arrests in April 2026 and more than 60% each month since November 2025.

In New Hampshire, the program accounted for 60% of immigration arrests in June 2026. In Oklahoma, nearly 50% of arrests in that month were made by state or local police. The Oklahoma Highway Patrol signed all of its troopers into the agreement, giving them the power to stop drivers and make immigration arrests on state highways. Gabriela Ramirez-Perez, an immigration and economic security policy analyst at the Oklahoma Policy Institute, said this has altered daily habits for residents, with many avoiding highways to reduce the risk of contact with law enforcement.

The Department of Justice offered $3 billion in funding this summer to agencies that join the program. Florida has already provided hundreds of millions of dollars in additional state funds to participating law enforcement agencies. Rose described the financial incentives as a driving force behind the rapid expansion of the program. The Department of Homeland Security maintains that 287(g) is a critical tool for reducing crime and illegal immigration.

The report indicates that the surge in participation is likely to continue as federal and state funding streams expand. Local agencies across the country are now formalizing their roles in federal immigration enforcement, integrating these powers into their standard operational protocols.