ICE–local police partnerships surge nearly tenfold under Trump’s second term

WASHINGTON, DC: Agreements allowing local police to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in making federal immigration arrests surged by 950% during the first year of President Donald Trump’s second term, according to a new analysis of ICE data.

As of January 26, 1,168 agencies had officers trained to work with ICE, up from 135 during the Biden administration and 150 at the end of Trump’s first term, the analysis by Fwd.us found, as reported first by NBC News. 

Revival of the 'task force' model

The Trump administration urged local law enforcement to bolster its expanding deportation operations, reviving a controversial “task force” model that deputized local officers to stop people and make arrests based on suspected immigration violations.

Under the program, officers are deputized by ICE while continuing their regular policing duties, a dual role that has raised concerns among some departments about staffing and community trust.

However, not all agencies have signed on. The Dallas Police Department recently rejected participation, citing fears officers would be pulled away from core responsibilities.

In Maryland, the district attorney and Police Chiefs Association in Montgomery County, which borders Washington, DC, said that none of its departments had entered agreements with ICE.

“The Montgomery County Detective Bureau and police departments in Montgomery County do not enforce civil immigration orders; enforceable warrants must be signed by a judge,” the joint statement said.

States press forward despite local resistance

Elsewhere, state leaders pushed participation.

In Louisiana, Republican Gov Jeff Landry issued an executive order directing state law enforcement agencies to assist federal immigration operations and encouraged local departments to join the ICE program, even as some local leaders objected.

The task force model was discontinued in 2012 during the Barack Obama administration amid accusations of racial profiling by local officers in Maricopa County and Alamance County.

The Trump administration restarted the program in early 2025, pairing it with new funding and incentives. ICE advertising promised $7,500 in equipment per trained officer, $100,000 for new vehicles and overtime pay of up to 25% of an officer’s salary.

Agencies in 39 states are now participating

According to the Fwd.us analysis, agencies in 39 states were participating, though the total number of deputized officers was not disclosed. The states with the most agreements were Florida (342), Texas (296), Tennessee (63), Pennsylvania (58) and Alabama (52).

Fwd.us estimated that state and local police agencies and sheriff’s departments could receive between $1.4 billion and $2 billion this year by joining the program, fueled by funding from Trump’s 'One Big Beautiful Bill'.

“This amount would dwarf all other federal funding for local law enforcement,” the report said.

The administration championed the program, and ICE said that the partnerships were critical to its mission. On its website, the agency said that it recognized "the importance of its relationships with law enforcement partners, including state, local, and tribal agencies.”

By delegating duties, ICE said, the program strengthened efforts to protect “the homeland through the arrest and removal” of immigrants who undermined public safety and the integrity of US immigration laws.