Several counties in our region — Calumet, Brown, Kewaunee, and Outagamie — have signed 287(g) agreements with ICE. These agreements allow certain sheriff’s deputies to perform federal immigration enforcement duties inside our local jails.
It’s important to understand what this means — for taxpayers, for community safety, and for oversight.
What is the Warrant Model?
The counties in our area signed the “warrant service officer” model of 287(g). Under this model, local deputies may only act when a person is already in sheriff’s custody — they cannot go out and conduct street-level immigration enforcement or raids.
For example, the Outagamie County MOA specifies that designated deputies are authorized only to:
- “Serve ICE administrative warrants” (Form I-200 and I-205) on individuals already in custody.
- “Maintain custody of aliens for a period not to exceed 48 hours” after their local release date, to allow ICE to assume custody.
- “Complete required ICE documentation and database entries” related to the individual’s immigration status.
And here’s the key point: only officers who have been trained and certified by ICE can perform these duties. No deputy can engage in immigration-related tasks under 287(g) unless they have gone through the ICE training and certification process spelled out in the MOA.
Who Pays for This?
While ICE may cover some training expenses or reimburse detention costs, most expenses — staff time, travel, overtime, and administrative reporting — come from local budgets, i.e. taxpayer dollars. Deputies must complete ICE-specific training beyond their regular duties, which means every hour spent on federal tasks is an hour pulled away from core community policing.
Key Questions to Ask Locally
Accountability starts with clarity. Here are the questions residents should be pressing county officials and sheriffs to answer:
- How many deputies are being trained and certified under the 287(g) agreement?
- Are all officers performing 287(g) duties fully ICE-certified? (If not, why are uncertified officers involved?)
- What is the total cost of training, overtime, and compliance?
- How much reimbursement has ICE promised — and how much has actually been received?
- How has participation affected regular sheriff’s duties, such as response times, patrol coverage, or other local public safety needs?
How You Can Stay Engaged
- Attend county board or public safety committee meetings when 287(g) agreements are discussed.
- Submit open records requests (FOIA at the county level) for the number of certified officers, training completion records, and reimbursement reports.
- Push your county to require annual public reporting from the sheriff on 287(g) participation and costs.
See Sample Open Records Request Text Below
Bottom Line
The warrant model is limited in scope — it only applies when someone is already in custody, and only certified officers can carry out these duties. But the financial and staffing tradeoffs are very real.
Our responsibility is to ensure that every officer performing these duties has the proper ICE certification, that taxpayers know the true cost, and that our local law enforcement isn’t being stretched thin at the expense of community safety.
Diligence and oversight keep these agreements transparent and accountable — without spreading unnecessary fear.