Expanding Federal Authority: Trump, ICE 287(g), and the Rise of a National Police Force

Centralizing Power Through National Police Initiatives

The concept of a national police force under Donald Trump centers on expanding federal authority by integrating local and state agencies into immigration enforcement. This approach uses the ICE 287(g) Program, which allows local law enforcement to partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to detain and process individuals for deportation. The scope of this initiative includes not only traditional police departments but also agencies like wildlife commissions, marine protection units, and even lottery control boards in at least three states. The boundaries of this program stop short of making every public official an immigration enforcer, but the administration has signaled interest in involving a wide range of local actors. The target audience for this policy includes state and local police, sheriffs, and even non-traditional law enforcement agencies, as well as federal immigration authorities. This matters because it blurs the lines between federal and local policing, raising concerns among legal scholars, civil rights attorneys, and local officials about the limits of presidential authority and the potential for overreach. According to Charis Kubrin, a professor at the University of California, Irvine, the administration’s strategy intentionally seeks to involve not just police but also other public officials in immigration enforcement, which marks a important departure from past practices ^[3]. The White House’s orders drive this expansion, and the program’s legal foundation comes from section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act ^[7]. The administration announced that 1,000 agencies had signed on as ICE partners by September 2025 ^[9], showing the broad and growing reach of this policy.

Financial Incentives for Local Law Enforcement Agencies

Agencies that participate in the ICE 287(g) Program report several concrete outcomes. Local police departments receive direct financial incentives, such as full reimbursement for annual salary and benefits for each 287(g) officer, and partial overtime coverage, which helps them shore up their budgets ^[18]. The Department of Homeland Security also offers performance awards and signing bonuses of up to $50,000 for new recruits, along with student loan forgiveness ^[19]. These benefits have driven a 600 percent increase in partnerships since Trump took office, with local agencies eager to access new funding streams ^[21]. Key performance indicators for the program include the number of agencies partnered with ICE, which reached 1,000 by September 2025 [9], and the volume of arrests and detentions processed through these agreements. Political pressure also acts as a measurable force, as several Republican governors sued sheriffs who refused to work with ICE and, in some cases, won cooperation ^[20]. The administration uses these metrics to benchmark the program’s success, focusing on the scale of local participation and the speed at which agencies join the deportation agenda.

Early Development of the ICE 287(g) Program

The early development of the ICE 287(g) Program as a tool for building a national police force started before Trump’s presidency but gained momentum after his election in 2016. The program had been declining in popularity, with police chiefs and local officials resisting federal pressure to participate ^[13]. During the 2020 campaign, Joe Biden pledged to end all 287(g) agreements made by Trump, but only a handful of contracts ended, and most agreements remained in place ^[14]. Local sheriffs in several areas ran for office on promises to refuse cooperation with ICE, reflecting important resistance at the community level ^[15]. Despite this, political pressure from the White House and Republican governors led to lawsuits against sheriffs who declined to participate, resulting in some forced cooperation [20]. The administration’s strategy relied on funneling large sums of federal money to local agencies, making the program financially attractive and politically difficult to resist [7]. This combination of political and financial incentives set the stage for rapid expansion once Trump returned to office.

Accelerated Expansion Under the Trump Administration

By October 2025, Trump’s administration had accelerated the expansion of the ICE 287(g) Program, reaching 1,000 agency partnerships nationwide [9]. The Department of Homeland Security rolled out new financial incentives, including performance awards and full reimbursement for officer salaries and benefits, to attract more local agencies [18]. ICE also began offering signing bonuses of up to $50,000 and student loan forgiveness to new recruits, and started advertising in at least a dozen cities to boost recruitment [19]. The administration extended partnerships beyond traditional police, including agencies responsible for environmental and marine protection, lottery control, and gaming in at least three states ^[10]. These moves represent a major change from previous years, when the program was in decline and faced resistance from local officials [13]. The administration’s willingness to use both financial and political pressure has driven a rapid surge in participation, with local agencies now seeing immigration enforcement as a workable way to secure funding and political favor.

Local and State Agencies in Immigration Enforcement

Local and state agencies now use the ICE 287(g) Program to carry out a wide range of immigration enforcement tasks. Police departments in Illinois, for example, have teamed up with Border Patrol agents to confront demonstrators outside immigrant detention centers, as seen during a protest in Broadview on October 3, 2025 ^[1]. Agencies that traditionally focus on wildlife, marine, and gaming enforcement in at least three states now participate in identifying and detaining immigrants [10]. The Department of Homeland Security reimburses these agencies for officer salaries and benefits, making the program financially attractive [18]. ICE also uses advertising campaigns in at least a dozen cities to recruit new officers, expanding the pool of local participants [19]. These partnerships allow the administration to deploy a larger force for immigration enforcement, with the added benefit of local knowledge and presence. The program’s reach now extends far beyond traditional policing, touching agencies and communities that previously had little involvement in federal immigration policy.

Recruitment of Non-Traditional Law Enforcement Partners

The Trump administration’s strategy now includes recruiting non-traditional law enforcement agencies and public officials to participate in immigration enforcement. According to Charis Kubrin, the administration wants to involve not just police, but also nurses, teachers, and other public officials in enforcing immigration laws [3]. ICE has started running ads in at least a dozen cities to attract new recruits, and the Department of Homeland Security offers student loan forgiveness as an incentive [19]. The administration also leverages political pressure, with Republican governors suing sheriffs who refuse to cooperate, sometimes winning forced participation [20]. This expansion blurs the lines between different law enforcement agencies and the military, creating a force that critics say is increasingly answerable to the president ^[5]. The American Civil Liberties Union’s Naureen Shah argues that this project aims to build a national police force under direct presidential command, raising concerns about the potential for abuse of power and the erosion of local autonomy.

Future Growth and Expansion of ICE 287(g)

Looking ahead, experts predict that the ICE 287(g) Program could continue to expand into new sectors if current trends persist. The administration’s willingness to offer large financial incentives and use political pressure suggests that more local agencies will join, especially those facing budget shortfalls [18]. ICE’s recruitment ads and student loan forgiveness programs are likely to attract younger officers and non-traditional recruits [19]. Legal scholars and civil rights advocates warn that this expansion could further erode the distinction between federal and local law enforcement, making it easier for the president to direct a national police force [5]. The American Civil Liberties Union’s Naureen Shah argues that the project’s ultimate goal is to create a force answerable to the president, not just for immigration enforcement but potentially for other political purposes [5]. If these trends continue, the number of agencies involved could surpass 1,000, and the program’s reach could extend even further into public life.

Long-Term Implications for National Policing

Over the long term, critics worry that the ICE 287(g) Program could lay the foundation for a permanent national police force under direct presidential control. The American Civil Liberties Union’s Naureen Shah warns that this approach blurs the lines between local, state, and federal law enforcement, creating a force that could serve the president’s political agenda [5]. Scholars like Charis Kubrin point out that the foundational assumption behind these policies—the idea of widespread immigrant criminality—has no basis in research, yet the administration continues to use it to justify expansion ^[4]. If unchecked, this trend could lead to a future where local agencies routinely enforce federal policies outside their traditional roles, undermining community trust and civil liberties. The program’s rapid growth, driven by financial incentives and political pressure, signals a major change in the relationship between federal and local law enforcement [21]. As the number of participating agencies grows, the risk of abuse and loss of local autonomy increases, raising questions about the future of democratic oversight and accountability in American policing.