ICE Is Offering Cash, Vehicles, and Salary Reimbursements to Local Police Who Join Immigration Enforcement

The Department of Homeland Security is offering local law enforcement agencies $100,000 for new vehicles, additional equipment, and reimbursement for officers' salaries and benefits if they enroll in a federal program that lets local police carry out immigration enforcement duties normally reserved for federal agents. The number of partnerships has surged from 135 to more than 1,700 since January.

The Details

The federal 287(g) program authorizes trained local law enforcement officers to perform certain immigration enforcement functions that are normally handled by federal officers. Under the program, local officers receive training to investigate, arrest, and process individuals for suspected immigration violations. NPR reported that DHS is now promising participating agencies $100,000 for new vehicles, additional equipment support, and reimbursement for officers' salaries and benefits, with potential bonuses tied to enforcement success.

WMUR reported that ICE is offering departments $100,000 for enrolling in 287(g) and $7,500 per participating member. The Belknap County Sheriff's Office in New Hampshire said it planned to use reimbursements for a transport van and body cameras. Belknap County Sheriff Bill Wright told WMUR that the arrangement means "there's no burden on the county" because ICE is reimbursing the department for time spent on 287(g) work.

The Marshall Project reported that DHS announced participating 287(g) task force agencies could be reimbursed for the salaries and benefits of trained officers, as the administration shifts more immigration enforcement work to local police. The task force version of 287(g) allows trained local officers to investigate and arrest people for suspected immigration violations during routine policing, not just in jail settings.

FWD.us, an immigration advocacy organization, said a leaked ICE payout ledger showed $257 million had already been paid or promised to 282 law enforcement agencies. The group described a funding structure that includes a $100,000 startup payment plus $7,500 per officer signed up. A February 2026 FWD.us estimate said total federal funding tied to current 287(g) sign-ups could reach roughly $1.4 billion to $2 billion in 2026.

NPR reported that Florida and Texas have both offered their own grants to expand 287(g) participation, and that Florida agencies have already received large state awards tied to immigration enforcement cooperation. Florida's chief financial officer, Blaise Ingoglia, said at a March press conference while distributing oversized grant checks to sheriffs: "Let's start giving the money away."

NPR cited ICE data showing the number of 287(g) partnerships grew from 135 at the start of Trump's second term to more than 1,700 by early May 2026.

Context

Part of the 287(g) program was curtailed in 2012 after federal findings that some participating agencies appeared to engage in racial profiling. The program has since been restructured and expanded, with the current administration placing renewed emphasis on local partnerships.

Civil liberties advocates told NPR and WMUR that paying local police for immigration enforcement risks encouraging dragnet policing and deterring immigrant communities from reporting crimes or seeking help. Naureen Shah, the ACLU's government affairs director for immigration, told NPR: "We've never seen this financial incentive scheme exist in any way with this program." Gilles Bissonnette, legal director of the ACLU of New Hampshire, told WMUR: "We shouldn't be incentivizing police work for profit."

DHS did not provide NPR with a full nationwide accounting of how much money has already been awarded, leaving the exact federal total partially opaque. The FWD.us figures are based on a leaked ledger and should be understood as external analysis rather than official DHS disclosure.

What's Next

With more than 1,700 agencies now enrolled in 287(g) and both federal and state incentives expanding, the program is on track to draw billions in combined funding this year, according to FWD.us estimates. The Belknap County Sheriff's Office is one of many departments weighing how to spend startup funds on vehicles and equipment. Whether DHS will release a full nationwide accounting of payouts remains unclear, and civil liberties groups say they will continue closely monitoring how the financial incentives affect local policing practices.