Donald Trump is dead set on stopping illegal immigration. He’s planning to go full throttle in order to accomplish this.
And Trump’s latest scheme to fix the border crisis has Leftists fuming with rage.
Trump Administration Eyes Expanded Role for Local Sheriffs in Immigration Enforcement
President-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration is considering a significant expansion of powers for local sheriffs to help remove undocumented migrants from the United States. According to reports from the Wall Street Journal, the administration plans to broaden the federal 287(g) program, enabling sheriffs to act as immigration agents during their routine duties.
The 287(g) program, added to the Immigration and Nationality Act in 1996 under President Bill Clinton, currently allows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to partner with local law enforcement to identify and deport “incarcerated criminal noncitizens.” Participation in the program is voluntary and primarily limited to notifying ICE when undocumented migrants are in custody or holding them until federal authorities take over—only after arrests on separate criminal charges.
Trump’s team reportedly aims to revive a task force model within the program. This approach, phased out in 2012, would permit deputies to make immigration stops and arrests, enhancing their ability to deter unauthorized immigration. Tom Homan, Trump’s pick for border czar and a former acting ICE director, is said to support this model for its potential to increase enforcement.
While speaking to the New York Post, Jonathan Thompson, executive director of the National Sheriffs’ Association, expressed willingness among sheriffs to assist in the initiative but noted it would require substantial federal funding.
“It has to be much more realistic as to what it takes to house these individuals, feed and clothe them, take care of their health care. There’s a lot of money at stake here,” Thompson explained, adding that sheriffs will advocate for financial support from the administration and Congress.
Currently, 135 agencies in 21 states participate in the 287(g) program. Among them is New York’s Rensselaer County Sheriff’s Office, the sole participant in the state, which has encountered 358 undocumented individuals since 2018.
However, New York’s status as a “sanctuary state” limits cooperation with federal immigration authorities at the state level.
Local policies, such as those in New York City, further restrict participation, but counties without sanctuary designations, like Rensselaer, retain the option to collaborate with ICE.
Former Rensselaer County Sheriff Pat Russo described his department’s role to the Times Union as primarily checking federal databases for ICE holds and notifying officials about release dates for certain inmates. Sanctuary policies, however, prevent similar cooperation in many areas, such as New York City.
In other regions, officials like Thaddeus Cleveland, a sheriff in Texas’s Terrell County, view the program as an essential tool for community safety.
“Every community has become a border community,” Cleveland said to the New York Post, highlighting the widespread impact of immigration challenges.
He also emphasized the benefits of expanded participation in 287(g), stating, “It’s better than just releasing them on the streets once they’ve served their time. I mean, we’ve seen the aftermath of that.”
The Trump administration is reportedly exploring financial incentives to encourage local participation, including diverting billions in federal funds from cities and nonprofits assisting migrants to agencies cooperating with ICE.
This strategy could reward jurisdictions that comply with expanded immigration enforcement efforts while penalizing those that resist.
As the administration weighs these changes, advocates for the program argue it will strengthen immigration enforcement nationwide.
How these plans unfold will shape the evolving role of local law enforcement in the nation’s immigration system.
Stay tuned to The Federalist Wire.
