More Local Police Choosing to Work With ICE, Not Less – RedState
Since the Trump administration launched mass deportation operations, Democrats and the left have collectively lost their minds. Although Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents are tasked with getting rid of the “worst of the worst” illegal immigrants, the left insists on prioritizing illegal immigrants over U.S. citizens and obstructing ICE operations at every turn. In many blue cities and states, local law enforcement is prohibited from cooperating with ICE. However, much to the dismay of the left, this could change.
VIDEO: Maryland sheriffs pledge to defy Democratic Gov. Wes Moore’s ban on working with ICE https://t.co/zLkNJ30Oqp
– Steve Ferguson (@lsferguson) February 16, 2026
Collaborations between local law enforcement and ICE agents that allow officers to make federal immigration arrests saw a sharp increase during the first year of Trump 2.0, according to new data from FWD.US, a nonpartisan policy organization. In the first year of Trump’s second term alone, arrests by local officers increased by 950 percent. As of January 26, 1,168 local agencies had agents trained to assist ICE agents. That’s up from just 135 during the Biden administration and 150 at the end of Trump’s first term.
READ MORE: Good: ICE Reportedly Plans Eight 10,000-Bed Deportation Facilities By November.
Part of the increase in local assistance comes from the revival of a “task force” model in which agents are “deputized” so they can stop and arrest individuals if they have reason to believe they are in the country illegally. But as might be expected, blue cities located in otherwise red states might have a problem. In October 2025, Dallas Police Chief Daniel Comeaux refused a $25 million partnership with ICE, even after Mayor Eric Johnson urged other elected officials to “explore the potential benefits” of such a program. The chief said he was concerned that officers would be pulled from their normal duties. In blue Montgomery County, Maryland, the district attorney, along with the police chiefs’ association, released a statement that said in part:
The Montgomery County Detective Bureau and Montgomery County Police Departments do not enforce civil immigration orders; enforceable warrants must be signed by a judge.
In other red states like Louisiana, Republican governors have left local law enforcement no choice. In May 2025, Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry signed an executive order directing state and local law enforcement to assist ICE operations.
NEW: ICE announces the arrest of 650 illegal aliens in West Virginia in an operation with the cooperation of local law enforcement through the 287(g) program. According to ICE, those arrested were convicted of child sexual abuse, drug possession and endangering the welfare of…
– Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) February 1, 2026
By ICEThose arrested were convicted of child sexual abuse, drug possession and endangering the welfare of children.
The 287(g) program offers a lucrative deal to local law enforcement. It includes $7,500 per officer for equipment, $100,000 for new vehicles and overtime pay of up to 25 percent of an officer’s salary. There are 39 states in which law enforcement assists ICE. It’s no surprise that red states are the most likely participants, with Florida topping the list with 324 deals, Texas with 296, Tennessee with 63 and Alabama with 52. Even swing state Pennsylvania joined the group with 58 aid packages.
Look no further than Minnesota and Florida to see the stark contrast between where local cooperation exists and where it doesn’t. Even after border czar Tom Homan announced that operations in Minneapolis were scaling back, protesters were still out Sunday. Many protesters are skeptical that scaling back ICE operations could keep protests going. Then there’s Florida, where my colleague Brad Slager recently reported that the Sunshine State is working smarter, not harder, by combining the arrest of illegal immigrants with fish and game violations, proving that in Florida, there is more than one way to catch illegal immigrants.
ALSO READ: A fishtail between two cities: Florida shows Minneapolis how to work with ICE after angling violations
The American public also appears to be on the side of local and federal cooperation. Two recent polls show that an overwhelming majority of Americans, including Democrats, favor deporting illegal immigrants and support ICE enforcing immigration laws. What will it take for Democrats and the left to realize that Tom Homan and the boys aren’t going anywhere anytime soon?
WIDE SUPPORT.
Local law enforcement cooperation with @ICEgov And @CBP This is the common sense position among Minnesotans. Americans are demanding that sanctuary politicians honor ICE detention orders for criminal illegal aliens.
Anti-ICE agitators do not speak for Americans… pic.twitter.com/VZsRSPH8iL
– Homeland Security (@DHSgov) February 4, 2026
Anti-ICE agitators do not speak for American citizens who are no longer victims of illegal aliens and the politicians who enable them.
Editor’s note: ICE and CBP continue to put themselves in harm’s way in order to protect American sovereignty and keep our streets safe.
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