Several law enforcement agencies in Galveston County, Texas, are collaborating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) through the 287(g) program. This initiative empowers local officers to carry out certain immigration enforcement actions under the supervision of federal authorities. Participating agencies include the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office, Constable Precincts 1, 2, and 4, and the League City Police Department.
The 287(g) program is derived from a section of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which authorizes these partnerships. It allows state and local law enforcement to investigate the immigration status of individuals, even if they are not charged with a criminal offense in the United States.
Constable Justin West of Galveston County Precinct 4 stated, “We can proceed with an investigation into the immigration status using the 287(g) authority.” This development marks a significant shift in local immigration enforcement, as traditionally, only federal agents were responsible for such investigations.
As of now, 28 deputies from the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office have completed the required 40-hour online training course to participate in the program, with an additional 30 deputies currently undergoing training. Together, the three participating Constables’ Offices have trained a total of 14 deputy constables.
To enhance their capabilities, ICE agents have provided further training in Galveston County. “They’re in the field, they’re helping us understand questions we can and can’t ask,” West added. Current data from the Galveston County Sheriff’s Office indicates that law enforcement has already transferred 648 individuals to ICE custody this year, in addition to 653 detainees held under ICE detainers in the county jail.
According to Sheriff Jimmy Fullen, the program expedites the process for local deputies. “Our deputies can do the same thing federal agents were doing; this just expedites the situation so we’re not out on a scene or out on a traffic stop waiting on approval from the ICE agents,” he explained.
The 287(g) program has three distinct models: Jail Enforcement, Task Force, and Warrant Service Officer programs. Galveston County’s jail already participated in the Jail Enforcement model, allowing officers to identify inmates who may be residing in the country illegally. The Warrant Officer program enables local law enforcement to serve administrative warrants against individuals suspected of illegal residency.
Judge Mark Henry emphasized that the focus of the program is on serious offenders. “They’re going after people who really need to be behind bars; they’re not going after the guy working in the back of the kitchen somewhere,” he said.
Galveston County has a history of engaging in immigration enforcement, previously participating in Governor Greg Abbott’s Operation Lone Star. Constable Blake Patton remarked, “This is a further extension of Operation Lone Star and the things that we were doing down on the southern border assisting Border Patrol.”
Constable Paul Edinburgh added, “That was the front-end, and we thought it just as important to get involved on the back end to clean up the mess that we had in this county.”
Participation in the 287(g) program does not mean that deputies will replace their regular duties. Sheriff Fullen clarified, “We’re not going into workplaces, we are not going to places of worship, schools, trying to yank people out that we think are illegal. However, if we do come across them and determine that they are here illegally, we are going to process them and ship them back.”
The League City Police Department has also trained five officers under the 287(g) program. However, the City of Galveston, La Marque, and the Galveston County Precinct 3 Constable’s Office are not participating. Precinct 3 Constable Derrick Rose stated, “Being in the country is a civil issue, and not criminal. If there is a criminal complaint, we will enforce the law.”
As of September, the Department of Homeland Security announced that ICE would fully reimburse participating agencies for the annual salary and benefits of each eligible trained 287(g) officer. Currently, ICE has 958 agreements with local and state law enforcement agencies under the 287(g) program, indicating a growing trend in collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities.
