Texas has enacted a new law requiring all county sheriffs to enter into agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to enforce federal immigration warrants in their jails.
Known as the “Texas ICE Law,” the legislation mandates sheriffs to apply for 287(g) agreements or similar programs that authorize local law enforcement to perform immigration-related duties typically handled by federal agents.
Sheriff Javier Salazar of Bexar County affirmed his department’s commitment to comply with the law, stating, “We fully intend to comply with the law, and we’re gonna do everything in our power, to comply with it.”
The law represents a significant shift in Texas’s approach to immigration enforcement by requiring collaboration between local law enforcement and ICE.
Under the 287(g) program, established by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, local agencies gain delegated authority to question, process, and detain individuals for immigration violations.
The Texas Attorney General is empowered to take legal action against sheriffs who fail to comply with the mandate, underscoring the state’s resolve to enforce the law.
The legislation builds on the growing number of Texas law enforcement agencies participating in 287(g) agreements, which now exceeds 100.