ICE Deputized Local Police Now Outnumber Federal Agents

Local police departments now wield more immigration enforcement power than federal agents themselves. A report from the advocacy group FWD.us reveals that Immigration and Customs Enforcement deputized more than 29,000 state and local officers between January 2025 and October 2026. This total is roughly double the agency's own direct workforce of 11,600 deportation officers.

The expansion relies on the 287(g) program, which allows local law enforcement to conduct immigration arrests. Under the most common Task Force Model, agencies that maintain active participation receive federal funds for vehicles and equipment. Felicity Rose, vice president of research and policy at FWD.us, described these deputized officers as a key lever in the administration's strategy. She noted that routine highway stops are replacing the large, visible raids previously seen in cities like Chicago and Minneapolis.

Financial incentives appear to be accelerating the growth of the program. The Department of Justice offered $3 billion in funding to state and local agencies that join the initiative. Florida has already provided hundreds of millions of dollars in additional funds to participating law enforcement. Rose indicated that this financial promise is fueling the surge in partnerships.

Florida and Texas account for about half of the 47,000 immigration arrests made through the program from January 2025 to August 2026. Both states' governors have mandated that local police sign the agreements. However, the data shows high levels of activity in other regions as well.

In Wyoming, deputized officers made 77% of all immigration arrests in April 2026. They have accounted for more than 60% of such arrests every month since November 2025. In New Hampshire, the program represented 60% of arrests in June 2026. In Oklahoma, the figure was close to 50% that same month.

The Oklahoma Highway Patrol enrolled all of its troopers in the program, granting them the authority to stop drivers and make immigration arrests on state highways. Gabriela Ramirez-Perez, a policy analyst at the Oklahoma Policy Institute, said this has altered daily habits for many residents. She reported that people are changing their routines to avoid using the highways.