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An increasing number of local law enforcement agencies are partnering with the federal government to support detaining or arresting people suspected of violating immigration laws.
The Department of Homeland Security is encouraging sheriff’s offices, constables, and police departments to sign agreements that would allow them, under ICE supervision, to interrogate, detain, or arrest people.
That means it’s not just Immigration and Customs Enforcement handling cases — it could be local law enforcement agencies across the country.
In Pennsylvania, 20 agencies have signed or are waiting to sign the 287(g) agreements, named after a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Of those 20, four are awaiting approval.
Southwestern Pennsylvania has four agencies that have been approved by ICE to enter agreements: sheriff's offices in Butler and Washington counties and Westmoreland County constable's offices in Sewickley Township and Lower Burrell Fourth Ward.
Sewickley Township’s Constable Bruce Zarnick sees it as an educational opportunity that will prepare him to follow federal law.
“I would like to see the community safe,” he said. “I would like to see them see me as an asset to the community, not as somebody out there that's harassing people about stuff, but somebody that, in response to something, is able to make sure that proper laws and procedures are followed."
Critics say the agreements open the door to discrimination. The American Civil Liberties Union called on then-President Joe Biden’s administration to end the program — one of Biden's campaign promises — arguing it erodes trust between local police and community members and could lead to abuses of power.
Tricia McLaughlin, Department of Homeland Security’s assistant secretary, denied allegations that the agreements lead to racial profiling in a statement provided to Next Generation Newsroom.
“Our 287(g) partners work with us to enforce federal immigration law without fear, favor, or prejudice, and they should be commended for doing so,” she said. “287(g) is critical to having the enforcement we need to arrest criminal illegal aliens across the country.”
A 2022 ACLU report found that several agencies with 287(g) agreements had records of racial profiling and civil rights violations.
“It allows the local sheriff's department, or whichever law enforcement agency is taking on the agreement, to essentially stop people that they believe are removable from the United States or otherwise subject to immigration enforcement,” said Keith Armstrong, fellowship attorney for immigrants’ rights for ACLU of Pennsylvania.
And it can happen without a warrant out for the person, which Armstrong said could erode trust between law enforcement and immigrants in the community. If people don’t feel they can report crime to authorities, the community overall is less safe, he said.
The ACLU of Pennsylvania filed a lawsuit against the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office for entering an agreement without the consent of county commissioners. The case is in Bucks County Court of Common Pleas.
Bucks County Board Chairman Bob Harvie declined to comment. Sheriff Fred Harran did not respond to a request for comment.
Local law enforcement, such as Juniata County Sheriff Joshua Stimeling, point to the agreements as a way of keeping communities safe.
“Our hope and goal is that it will enable law enforcement agencies across the nation to work together in the interest of justice to make this great nation a better, safer place for all,” Stimeling said by email.
The ACLU has advocated for an end to the 287(g) program, but the number of agreements has ramped up since President Donald Trump took office in January. As of July 1, more than 740 agencies have entered into agreements with ICE, with around 600 of those entered since Trump took office.
The agreements come in three models: jail enforcement, warrant service officer, and task force. Most law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania are working under the task force model, which permits the most authority to enforce federal immigration laws.
The jail enforcement and warrant service officer models focus on people with criminal or pending criminal charges or those already in jail. The task force model allows law enforcement to interrogate, arrest, and collect personal information, such as fingerprints, on behalf of ICE.
But some of the participating agencies in Pennsylvania have yet to sign the agreements or receive the 40 hours of training after signing. Butler County Sheriff Mike Slupe declined to speak to specifics of how the agreement would be applied in the county, stating that the office had yet to receive training.
Slupe said he doesn’t believe he needs the commissioners’ approval to enter the agreement, but Commissioner Kevin Boozel said it would have to be approved before it can be adopted.
“I am and have always been committed to holding those with warrants against them accountable to the court,” Slupe said via email. "That is not going to change with our interaction with any potential illegal person who has legal ICE paperwork for their arrest that are in our county.”
Zarnick said he doesn’t see the agreement significantly changing his work beyond the 40-hour virtual training teaching him what to do if someone who committed a crime or that he has detained is in violation of federal immigration laws.
“I'll have the knowledge on how to treat them and what further steps I may need to take to be in compliance with the federal laws,” he said.
But through the agreement, ICE may call on Zarnick to assist with ICE’s criminal investigations. The Constable’s Office, like all law enforcement agencies, would cover its own expenses incurred through the agreement, even when doing federal immigration enforcement.
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