A Salvadoran national with a homicide conviction, a Mexican national with an outstanding warrant for child molestation, and a Mexican national charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon are three of the most egregious cases of detainers placed in June by local law enforcement officials with delegated 287(g) authority from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), in the latest monthly report.
The reports, which ICE began publishing in October, detail examples of enforcement actions made as a direct result of the cooperation agreements between state and local law enforcement partners and the federal agency.
The June report includes significant threats to public safety:
- In Arkansas on June 4, the Benton County Sheriff’s Office 287(g) program encountered a citizen of El Salvador charged with public intoxication and placed an immigration detainer and warrant on the subject. The subject has a previous conviction of attempted homicide in El Salvador and entered the United States on an unknown date and location without inspection.
- In Florida on June 3, the Collier County Sheriff’s Office 287(g) program encountered a citizen of Mexico arrested on an outstanding warrant for lewd and lascivious molestation and placed an immigration detainer and warrant on the subject. The subject also has two pending charges of sex crime with a minor and entered the United States on an unknown date and location without inspection.
- In Texas on June 15, the Nueces County Sheriff’s Office 287(g) program encountered a citizen of Mexico charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possession of controlled substance and placed an immigration detainer and warrant on the subject. The subject last entered the United States at an unknown date and location without inspection after being previously removed from the United States on eight prior occasions.
In fiscal year (FY) 2019, the 287(g) program resulted in almost 25,000 law enforcement encounters with aliens in the custody of participating jurisdictions.
ICE has agreements with 141 law enforcement agencies in 25 states. Of those, 74 agreements are 287(g) jail enforcement model and 67 are warrant service officer model agreements. The 287(g) jail model agreement allows local law enforcement agencies to participate as an active partner in identifying criminal aliens in their custody and placing ICE detainers on these individuals.
ICE does not require law enforcement agencies to participate in 287(g). In fact, law enforcement agencies must request to participate in the 287(g) program and enter into a memorandum of agreement that defines the scope, duration and limitations of the delegation of authority. It also sets forth the training requirements, the terms of ICE supervision, and requires the partnering law enforcement agency to follow U.S. Department of Homeland Security and ICE policies when its designated immigration officers perform delegated immigration enforcement functions.
The 287(g) program allows ICE to have a presence at local jails across the country. Through training and with oversight, local officers can screen those booked into local custody on criminal charges and process the immigration case for ICE supervisory review.
The goal of 287(g) is to enhance public safety by identifying aliens, lodging immigration detainers, and initiating removal proceedings by issuing charging documents on criminal and removable aliens booked into the jail facility.
