A massive force behind the ongoing ICE surge is the 287(g) program for officers to support ICE, which has existed since 1996, yet never became widespread until 2026 under Trump. From 1996-2016, the program was practically irrelevant, until first term Trump tried to expand it.

287(g) police now make thousands of arrests a month. Troopers and sheriffs are helping ICE apprehend any illegal aliens they see. We've gone from 0 Task Force agencies to more than 1,800 in under two years, and from 135 total agreements to nearly 2,600 total today.