Overview
- As of Jan. 26, 1,168 agencies have officers trained to assist ICE, up from 135 under Biden and 150 at the end of Trump’s first term, according to FWD.US analysis of ICE data.
- The revived task‑force model deputizes local officers to make federal immigration arrests, echoing a program scaled back in 2012 over racial‑profiling concerns.
- Participation spans 39 states, led by Florida with 342 agencies and Texas with 296, followed by Tennessee with 63, Pennsylvania with 58, and Alabama with 52.
- ICE advertises $7,500 per trained officer for equipment, $100,000 for vehicles, plus overtime pay up to 25% of salary, and FWD.US projects participating departments could see $1.4–$2 billion this year.
- Uptake remains uneven as the Dallas Police Department and Montgomery County, Maryland, declined to join, while Louisiana Gov. Jeff Landry ordered state agencies to cooperate, and an NBC/SurveyMonkey poll found 60% disapprove of Trump’s immigration actions after recent fatal enforcement incidents.