Overview
- ICE’s internal ledgers, in the Wednesday leak obtained by Ken Klippenstein, revealed active talks with more than 400 agencies and a new $89 million allocation for the Florida Highway Patrol.
- An ICE diagram shows local officers become eligible for stipends only after their first immigration arrest, labeled “OPERATIONAL,” with incentives that include per‑arrest‑style payments, travel reimbursements, and pay tied to handling unaccompanied children.
- Large sums flow to state forces such as Arkansas and Oklahoma, while tiny departments like Point Comfort, Texas, and Key Colony Beach, Florida, receive outsized per‑officer awards, including a Tennessee constable district flagged for more than $1.8 million for a single officer.
- Mirror US, citing Wired, reports some agreements promise that deputized officers may seek Justice Department legal representation if sued and place records generated under ICE control, which can slow public access to information.
- The effort uses 287(g), a law that lets ICE deputize local police for federal immigration work, and critics note the broad reach as TRAC data show most people in ICE detention have no criminal conviction.