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The number of local police agencies collaborating with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has rapidly increased during the second term of President Donald Trump, expanding the scope of detention and deportation operations nationwide.
According to a report by NBC News, an analysis of ICE data conducted by the organization FWD.US reveals that agreements allowing local police to carry out federal immigration arrests increased by 950% in the first year of the new administration.
As of January 26, there were 1,168 agencies with trained officials available to assist ICE, compared to 135 during Joe Biden's administration and 150 at the end of Trump's first term.
The model, known as “task force” (working group), allows local agents to be empowered with federal authorities to detain individuals suspected of being in the country without legal authorization.
The program was discontinued in 2012 during the administration of Barack Obama following reports of racial profiling in counties in Arizona and North Carolina, but it was reactivated in early 2025 with new financial incentives.
ICE offers up to $7,500 per trained officer for equipment, $100,000 for new vehicles, and additional payments for overtime.
According to the analysis cited by NBC News, currently 39 states have participating agencies.
Florida leads with 342 agreements, followed by Texas with 296, Tennessee with 63, Pennsylvania with 58, and Alabama with 52.
Not all jurisdictions have agreed to join. The Dallas Police Department declined to participate, arguing that its officers would be diverted from their usual duties.
In Montgomery County, Maryland, local authorities reported that they do not enter into agreements and that they only carry out orders signed by a judge.
In contrast, the Republican governor of Louisiana, Jeff Landry, issued an executive order instructing state agencies to cooperate with federal immigration operations, encouraging local departments to join the program.
The strengthening of this cooperation occurs alongside a national debate on immigration policies.
A survey by NBC News revealed that 60% of respondents disapproved of Trump's handling of border security and immigration following the death of two American citizens during federal operations last month.
The administration has defended the program by stating that collaboration with state and local agencies is key to protecting national security and enforcing immigration laws.
ICE states that the delegation of functions enhances the ability to arrest and remove individuals who, according to the agency, undermine the integrity of the U.S. immigration system.
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