ICE Explores Outsourcing Some of Its Efforts to Deputize Local Police

The Trump administration is looking for private companies that can train, recruit and provide liability protection for local police carrying out immigration enforcement as it expands its deportation apparatus.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which oversees the local partnerships known as 287(g) agreements, requested information until Feb. 10 from companies interested in managing the booming partnerships, which can include deputizing police and other officers to arrest people they suspect are living in the U.S. without authorization.

Over the past year, 287(g) agreements have skyrocketed, allowing sheriffs’ and police departments to get involved in President Donald Trump’s push for mass deportations. Nearly 800 agencies across 32 states have signed up to deputize their officers to act as immigration agents as part of a previously dormant model of the 287(g) agreements, according to the federal government’s list of participants. Florida has the most agreements.

Potential contractors had to tell the agency by Feb. 10 about their existing relationships with all the sheriffs’ departments in the country, how they could train sheriffs to participate in the 287(g) program and whether they could provide liability protection to officers acting as immigration agents.

The request for information ICE posted to the federal government’s contracting database in January is a preliminary step and does not guarantee there will be a contract offer.

Bianca Tylek, executive director of Worth Rises, a nonprofit group advocating against privatization of the criminal legal system, told NOTUS the outsourcing of training could mean that companies profiting from immigration detention might end up training local police on detaining immigrants.

“It’s not surprising because this administration has been privatizing everything,” she said.

Although it’s unclear which companies expressed interest in managing the 287(g) partnerships, a Q&A document posted in early February shed more light on the kind of services ICE is interested in, such as an outreach effort rolled out across the country simultaneously and marketing campaigns.

“The training the vendor will be asked to deliver is set by ICE and can be delivered by whichever means decided by the vendor to meet the needs of the department or state receiving the training,” the agency responded to a question from a contractor.

Regarding liability problems, ICE is specifically looking for protection in case of an officer’s wrongdoing.

“Participation in training and outreach would not trigger additional liability concerns” the agency wrote. “Any additional liability concerns would only be created after a trained officer performs an immgration related duty under their departments [Memorandum of Agreement] with ICE.”

The second Trump administration has revived the task force model of 287(g) agreements that allows for street-level enforcement, which former President Barack Obama suspended in 2012 after allegations that they resulted in racial profiling.

Some states have taken to banning or requiring collaboration with ICE. Maryland Gov. Wes Moore signed legislation Wednesday requiring state and local governments to end their 287(g) partnerships. Nine sheriffs’ departments in the state have agreements to partner with ICE within jails.

Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier threatened local elected officials in 2025 with removal from their posts if they did not allow their police departments to enter into the agreements.

ICE did not respond to a request for comment.