WASHINGTON, D.C. —  A new FWD.us analysis, Force Multiplied, finds that the number of agencies signed on to ICE's 287(g) Task Force Model has grown from zero at the start of 2025 to more than 1,850 as of October 1. Those jurisdictions cover at least 136 million people — one in three Americans. This growth is driven by an estimated $2 billion in eligible payments to state and local law enforcement agencies, with arrests increasing more than sixfold after the money began to flow. The administration's all-of-government approach to immigration enforcement increasingly relies on a quiet army  driven by state and local law enforcement. 

The new report estimates that over 29,000 state and local officers in 30 states are now deputized to enforce federal civil immigration law. That is more than double the 11,600 Deportation Officers on ICE's own payroll. The deputized force is twice the size FWD.us projected in February, just eight months ago. 

“This isn't a handful of sheriffs in a few counties anymore,” said Zoë Towns, Executive Director of FWD.us. “It's 1,850 agencies covering one in three Americans, and it's growing every month. The equipment, personnel, and practices being bought with ICE dollars won't disappear when this political moment passes. They’ll be used against every community that's vulnerable to policing, immigrant and non-immigrant alike. This is a harmful distraction from the real work of public safety and from lowering costs for struggling American families.”

Key Findings

• Arrests increased more than sixfold once the money flowed. Arrests involving 287(g) officers rose from just over 1,000 in August 2025, before ICE announced funding incentives, to more than 2,400 in October 2025, when they took effect. By July 2026, they topped 6,600.
• A growing share of all ICE arrests. In some states, 287(g) programs recently accounted for more than half of ICE arrests. Overall arrests rose from under 3% in early 2025 to roughly 14–15% of ICE arrests.
• Highway stops, avoiding headlines. Deputized officers are central to the administration's "quieter" enforcement strategy, trading newsworthy urban surges for routine traffic stops.
• Billions in federal payments. Participating agencies are eligible for at least $2 billion in projected payments through FY 2026 — roughly double the largest federal grants to local police in FY 2024.
• A permanent pipeline for local agencies. Even if no new agencies sign up, current participants are eligible to share at least $1.8 billion per year going forward, and possibly much more.
• Surging arrests impact communities. Over 47,000 arrests have separated people from their families, jobs, and communities as a result of these partnerships.

“The data tell a clear story: the money came first, and the arrests followed,” said Felicity Rose, Vice President of Research and Policy at FWD.us. “Arrests involving 287(g) officers more than doubled the month ICE's payments took effect, and they’ve grown more than sixfold since. Billions of taxpayer dollars are now flowing to local agencies with no reporting requirements, no oversight, and instructions not to answer public records requests. Some departments stand to more than double their budgets. Communities deserve to know what they're paying for.”

About the Report

Force Multiplied expands on FWD.us's February 2026 analysis of ICE's 287(g) Task Force Model using new data, insights, and information about the 287(g) programs. The full analysis, including a new state-by-state data breakdown, and an interactive map tool is available here.