North Carolina has cemented its place as one of the states with the highest number of 287(g) agreements signed between local agencies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in 2025. According to data compiled by The Markup and compared with official documents, there are currently 23 counties where law enforcement agencies maintain cooperation agreements with ICE.
This for Growth This is no coincidence. All of the agreements—100%—were signed under the administrations of Donald Trump, in his first and second terms. While most of the agreements began settle During his first administration (2017-2021), the pace accelerated again starting in 2020 and picked up again strongly after his return to the White House in January 2025.
Which North Carolina counties have 287(g) agreements?
The chronological review confirms that all 23 agreements in North Carolina were signed during the Trump administrations, with an initial wave between 2019 and 2020 and a second wave in 2025, during his second term.
This reflects how North Carolina has established itself as a laboratory for the federal strategy: delegating an increasingly active role in immigration policy to local sheriffs.
Growth in line with national policy
The increase in North Carolina reflects a broader federal strategy. In a release As of September 2025, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and ICE highlighted that the national figure was exceeded 1,000 active agreements , an increase of 641% compared to 2017:
“The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) now have more than 1,000 287(g) program agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies. (…) 287(g) partnerships have increased by 641%, from 135 agreements to 1,001.”
The statement emphasizes that these agreements are aimed at "removing the worst of the worst, including murderers, gang members, rapists, pedophiles, and terrorists from our communities." However, in practice, the data shows that the vast majority of those detained by ICE either committed no crime or are being prosecuted for minor offenses.
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What is the 287(g) program?
El 287(g) program, established in the Immigration and Nationality Act, authorizes the federal government to delegate certain immigration functions to local police or sheriff agencies. Local officers receive training and oversight from ICE and can then collaborate at various levels, according to the agreement.
Main models
- Jail Enforcement Model (JEM): Allows trained officers in local jails to verify the immigration status of individuals arrested for state or local offenses and issue detainers for ICE.
- Warrant Service Officer (WSO): Authorizes local officials to serve ICE administrative arrest warrants (forms I-200 and I-205) against people in custody. It is more limited than the JEM, as it does not allow for immigration interviews or street patrols.
- Task Force Model (TFM): It allows local officers to collaborate on investigations and arrests in the community, outside of the prison setting. This model is rare and highly controversial.
Which ones predominate in North Carolina?
The table of agencies in North Carolina shows a clear pattern: the most recent agreements correspond to WSO model , which ICE began promoting massively in 2020 due to its simplicity and low political cost. Only three counties—Cabarrus, Gaston, and Henderson—maintain agreements under the Jail Enforcement Model (JEM) , Whereas the Task Force Model (TFM) reappeared in September 2025 with the agreement signed by the Brookford Police Department, the first of its kind in the state.
Related: These are the North Carolina counties with the most ICE arrests.
Which states have the most 287(g) agreements?
According to The Markup tracker , the states with the most 287(g) participating agencies are: Florida (263) , Texas (140) , Pennsylvania (39) , Tennessee (31) , Georgia (30) , Virginia (29) y South Carolina (26) . North Carolina appears with 23 and is located eighth at the national level , just above Arkansas (19), Oklahoma (18) and Louisiana (16).
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