ICE Paying Salaries of Entire Police Forces Under 287(g) Program: 900 Agencies Signed Up

ICE Paying Salaries of Entire Police Forces Under 287(g) Program: 900 Agencies Signed Up

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is paying the salaries of local police officers nationwide under the 287(g) Task Force Model, with 900 law enforcement agencies already signed up including 431 town and city police departments. Carroll, New Hampshire (population 820) received $122,515 from DHS, covering all four of its full-time officers' salaries.

The Scale

• 900 agencies: Law enforcement agencies signed up as of March 17
• 431 local departments: Town, village, and city police departments
• First wave: Carroll, NH among the first to receive significant payments
• States: Florida leads with 4 port/airport police + 19 university police departments

How It Works

The DHS Task Force Model under the 287(g) program:

• Officers deputized: Local police become federal immigration enforcement agents
• DHS pays salaries: Full salary coverage plus equipment and vehicle funding
• Equipment bonus: Up to $7,500 per officer for equipment upon completing training
• Vehicle bonus: $100,000 for a new vehicle for each department signing a new agreement
• ICE direction: Officers operate under ICE command for immigration enforcement

Carroll, NH Case Study

• Population: 820 residents
• Officers: 4 full-time (chief, lieutenant, 2 patrol officers)
• Payment: $122,515 wire transfer from DHS on March 2
• Timeline: Signed up 4 months before receiving payment
• All officers enrolled: Every full-time officer became a task force officer

Financial Incentives

ICE's recruitment strategy, revealed in emails obtained via public records:

• September offer: $7,500 equipment + $100,000 vehicle per department
• October escalation: Full salary coverage, up to a quarterly cap
• Recruitment message: "Thank you for your steadfast commitment to our shared mission to Defend the Homeland"

Why It Matters

This program raises significant concerns:

1. Local police = immigration agents: Blurs line between local policing and federal immigration enforcement
2. Financial dependency: Small towns become dependent on DHS funding
3. Community trust: Immigrant communities less likely to report crimes or cooperate with police
4. National scale: 900 agencies represents a massive expansion of federal immigration enforcement capacity

Source: WIRED | Sammy Sussman | ICE Public Records