When President Trump signed Executive Order 14159 in January 2025, the number of law enforcement agencies partnering with ICE under the 287(g) program exploded from 135 to 1,318 almost overnight. That's not just a number—it's a fundamental shift in how immigration enforcement works in America. Under these local ICE partnerships, a broken taillight can now lead to deportation, and calling 911 for help can mean risking your family's future.
The change happened so quickly that many people don't fully understand what it means. One day, local police were focused on community safety. The next day, they became federal immigration agents with the power to detain and deport. For immigrant families—whether documented or undocumented—this represents a seismic shift in daily life and safety.
If you're an immigrant living in Florida, New York, or Jamaica and you're worried about how these changes affect you, the Sekou Clarke Law Group is here to help. With offices in Orlando, Panama Beach, New York City, and Kingston, we understand what's at stake.
What Is the 287(g) Program?
The 287(g) program was created by Congress in 1996 as part of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act. It allows ICE to train and authorize state, local, and even tribal police officers to act as immigration agents. The stated purpose? Identifying and removing people involved in criminal activity who are also deportable.
But here's the reality: the program doesn't mainly catch violent criminals. It catches people who got pulled over, had a broken taillight, or were in the wrong database. Moreover, it turns everyday police interactions into immigration checkpoints.
ICE offers four types of partnerships under local ICE partnerships:
Jail Enforcement Model – Officers screen people already in local jails to find anyone who might be deportable.
Task Force Model – Officers can do immigration enforcement while doing regular police work.
Tribal Task Force Model – The same as above, but for tribal police.
Warrant Service Officer Program – Trained officers serve ICE immigration warrants in local jails.
What Changed in 2025?
Here's the big shift: before 2025, cities and counties could choose whether or not to participate in 287(g). Some refused, wanting to keep local policing separate from federal immigration enforcement. That firewall protected trust between immigrant communities and police.
President Trump's Executive Order 14159 changed that. It directed ICE to expand 287(g) partnerships "as widely as legally possible." States like Georgia and Florida now require or encourage their law enforcement agencies to participate. The result? A tenfold increase in partnerships.
To join the program, law enforcement agencies must sign a Memorandum of Agreement with ICE and nominate officers who are U.S. citizens, pass background checks, and have at least two years of law enforcement experience for task force roles. ICE provides the training, and agencies apply by submitting a Letter of Interest and MOA. The process is streamlined now, making it easier than ever for agencies to join.
What Local ICE Partnerships Mean for Immigrants
For undocumented immigrants and mixed-status families, local police effectively became immigration agents. An interaction that used to end with a warning or ticket can now end in ICE detention and deportation proceedings.
The consequences ripple through entire communities:
People stop calling 911 – even for domestic violence, robbery, or child abuse – because any contact with police can lead to ICE.
Witnesses won't come forward and victims won't report crimes.
Families become afraid to drive, go to school, or attend court hearings.
Even legal immigrants and U.S. citizens in immigrant families get caught in the fear, because arrests often happen through misidentification, outdated records, or racial profiling.
For someone already in the system, a minor charge becomes life-altering. No bond. ICE hold. Transfer to detention. Deportation proceedings.
What This Means for Local Police
Police departments are being turned into federal immigration subcontractors, and that creates serious problems.
Trust collapses. Community policing depends on cooperation. When people think police equals ICE, that cooperation disappears—especially in Black and Latino communities. Crime goes unreported.
Resources get drained. Officers spend time checking immigration databases, holding people longer, doing paperwork for ICE, and waiting for transfers. That means less time solving crimes, stopping violence, or responding to emergencies.
Legal exposure increases. Departments participating in 287(g) have faced lawsuits for racial profiling, wrongful detention of U.S. citizens, and civil rights violations. Cities can be sued, even when they were just following ICE's instructions.
What This Means for Communities
The result is a two-tier society. Some residents feel protected by police. Others feel hunted by them.
That division leads to more unsolved crimes, more exploitation of immigrant workers, more domestic violence staying hidden, and more fear in schools, churches, hospitals, and workplaces.
Ironically, crime can actually increase. Criminals know immigrants are afraid to go to police, making immigrant communities easier targets.
The Bigger Picture: Local ICE Partnerships and Your Rights
The 287(g) program doesn't mainly target violent criminals. It catches people who got pulled over, had a broken taillight, were arrested but never convicted, were in the wrong database, or lived in the wrong zip code.
Under these local ICE partnerships, everyday life becomes an immigration checkpoint. A traffic stop. A call for help. A court appearance. Any of these can now trigger detention and deportation.
The human cost is staggering. Families are separated. Children come home from school to find their parents gone. Workers are afraid to report wage theft or unsafe conditions. Victims of domestic violence stay silent rather than risk deportation. This isn't theoretical—it's happening right now in communities across Florida, New York, and beyond.
What You Can Do
If you're an immigrant living in an area with 287(g) partnerships, you need to know your rights and have a plan:
Know your rights. You have the right to remain silent and the right to an attorney. You are not required to answer questions about your immigration status or where you were born.
Have an immigration attorney's number saved. If you're detained, call immediately. Don't wait.
Create a family plan. Make sure your family knows what to do if you're detained. Have emergency contacts, know where important documents are kept, and designate someone to care for your children.
Document everything. Keep records of all interactions with law enforcement. Write down badge numbers, dates, times, and what was said.
Get Legal Help Now
The expansion of 287(g) means more people are at risk. If you're worried about your immigration status or have been detained under local ICE partnerships, don't wait. The Sekou Clarke Law Group has decades of experience defending immigrants' rights.
Call us today at (407) 269-8774 to schedule an appointment. Your rights matter. Your family matters. Don't face this alone.
