DHS Pays Local Police to Assist ICE Deportations

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security launched a program on September 2, 2025, to reimburse state and local law enforcement agencies that assist U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in targeting criminal unauthorized immigrants. Effective October 1, 2025, the initiative provides full coverage for salaries and benefits of trained officers, including up to 25 percent in overtime costs. The program also introduces quarterly performance bonuses between $500 and $1,000 per officer, scaled by their success in locating undocumented immigrants.

Funded by a July spending package known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill," which allocated $75 billion to ICE over four years, the initiative utilizes the 287(g) program and the Task Force Model. These frameworks allow local police to make immigration arrests during their regular duties. Under the Trump administration, 287(g) agreements have expanded from approximately 135 in fiscal year 2022 to nearly 960 across 40 states.

ICE officials state the program aims to remove violent criminals, including gang members and terrorists, to enhance public safety. However, advocacy groups argue the policy encourages racial profiling and diverts local resources from domestic crimes. The American Immigration Council noted that such partnerships make immigrants scared to report actual crimes, while the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights described the Task Force Model as the most dangerous and invasive form of enforcement.