A once-underused immigration enforcement program has exploded under Trump

"The use of a federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement program that deputizes local police for immigration enforcement has dramatically expanded under President Donald Trump's second term in office. The rapid expansion of the 287(g) program marks one of the most visible shifts in President Trump's second-term immigration strategy. On Trump's first day he signed the executive order, "Protecting the American People from Invasion," which called on the DHS secretary to maximize the use of 287(g) agreements"

"The program, established in 1996, allows state and local law enforcement officers to act as immigration enforcement agents. That means questioning, investigating, and in some cases arresting people for civil immigration violations authority traditionally reserved for federal officers. The program existed under previous Democratic and Republican administrations, but never to the extent that the Trump administration is using it now, immigration experts and people who worked during previous presidential administrations tell NPR."

"The results have been swift. In 2019, during Trump's first term, just 45 of these 287(g) agreements were signed, available data shows. As of Feb. 13, ICE reported 1,412 active agreements across 40 states and territories more than 1,130 of them signed in 2025 alone. (DHS did not provide data prior to 2019 or between 2020 and 2025. NPR has submitted a Freedom of Information Act request for this information)."

On President Trump's first day he signed an executive order directing DHS to maximize 287(g) agreements and structure them for effective federal immigration enforcement. ICE reported 1,412 active agreements across 40 states and territories as of Feb. 13, with more than 1,130 signed in 2025 alone; 2019 data showed just 45 agreements. The 287(g) program, established in 1996, authorizes state and local officers to question, investigate and, in some cases, arrest people for civil immigration violations, powers traditionally reserved for federal officers. Immigration experts describe the expansion as unprecedented and linked to a mass deportation agenda, and DHS did not provide earlier data, prompting a Freedom of Information Act request.

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