Trump Administration Expands Decades-Old Immigration Program, Escalating Mass Deportations

The Trump administration's push to carry out mass deportations has led to an aggressive expansion of a decades-old program that delegates immigration enforcement powers to state and local law enforcement agencies. The 287(g) program, led by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), has seen a significant increase in signed agreements with law enforcement agencies across the country. These agreements allow police officers to interrogate immigrants in their custody and detain them for potential deportation.

Under the 287(g) program, there are three different types of agreements: the "jail services model," which allows law enforcement officers to screen people detained in jails for immigration violations; the "warrant service officer" model, which authorizes state and local law enforcement officers to comply with ICE warrants or requests on immigrants while they are at their agency's jails; and the "task force model," which gives local officers the ability to investigate someone's immigration status during their routine police duties.

The expansion of these agreements has raised concerns among immigrants, their attorneys, and advocates about racial profiling and a lack of oversight. The task force model, in particular, allows law enforcement officers to carry out immigration enforcement actions as part of their daily law enforcement work, which is similar to the powers of ICE agents. Rights groups argue that in areas where 287(g) agreements are in place, people in the country illegally are less likely to reach out to law enforcement authorities when they are victims of or witness to a crime.

Key Takeaways:

• The Trump administration has rapidly expanded the number of 287(g) agreements with law enforcement agencies across the country, from 135 in December 2016 to 588 in May 2017, with an additional 83 agencies pending approval.
• The agreements are disproportionately concentrated in Florida, Texas, Georgia, and North Carolina, with the majority of the pacts being with sheriffs' departments.
• The 287(g) program allows police officers to interrogate immigrants in their custody and detain them for potential deportation.
• Critics argue that the agreements can lead to racial profiling and a lack of oversight, with the task force model allowing law enforcement officers to carry out immigration enforcement actions as part of their daily law enforcement work.
• The program has been criticized for its lack of training and inadequate resources, with some law enforcement agencies struggling to send officers to training centers.
• The expansion of the program has raised concerns among immigrants, their attorneys, and advocates about the impact on communities.

Statistics:

• 587 agreements signed by ICE with law enforcement agencies across 40 states as of May 19, 2017 (Source: ICE website)
• 135 agreements signed in December 2016 (Source: ICE website)
• 83 agencies pending approval (Source: ICE website)
• 625 officers trained under the task force model as of mid-March 2017 (Source: ICE website)
• 40-hour online course required for officers in the task force model (Source: ICE website)
• Four-week training required for officers in the jail enforcement model (Source: ICE website)
• Eight hours of training required for officers in the Warrant Service Officer model (Source: ICE website)

Sources:

• ICE website
• American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU)
• Hope Community Center
• Immigrant Legal Resource Center
• Sanctuary of the South
• Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
• Miami Border Patrol chief agent Jeffrey Dinise