A trip with family or friends to the beach in North Carolina Or in South Carolina it could become a nightmare for undocumented immigrants if, during the journey, they are stopped by authorities in a county or municipality that has an agreement with Immigration.
To travel to popular beach destinations like Wilmington and the Outer Banks in North Carolina, or Myrtle Beach and Charleston in South Carolina, you have to cross counties where sheriffs or local police operate the 287(g) program.
What is 287(g)
Section 287(g) is a tool of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that serves to delegate to state and local law enforcement agencies the review of the immigration status of people who enter jails and even those detained during street stops, depending on the modality of the program.
According to data compiled by The Markup and compared with updated official reports from ICE As of March 18, 2026, there are a total of 29 287(g) agreements in North Carolina.
Meanwhile, in South Carolina, a smaller state, there are 44 agreements, making it one of the top 10 states in the country with the most agreements with ICE.
Related: North Carolina consolidates its position as one of the main bastions of 287(g) under Trump
Exponential increase of 287(g)
Several of the agreements were signed during President Donald Trump's first term, but their expansion has been exponential in this second term.
Enlace Latino NC She spoke with Dulce López, Immigrant Rights Advocacy Strategist at ACLU in South Carolinato find out what the situation has been like in a state where there are so many agreements with ICE.
“These agreements have been increasing exponentially. Last year we only had three agreements in the entire state, and now we see an increase of more than 10 times, which is very worrying,” López said.
This means that traveling on highways and streets in the Carolinas, whether to go to the beach or for work, involves a risk that undocumented immigrants must take into account.
“An undocumented person traveling on the highways has a significant and real risk of being detained and possibly deported,” López warned.
Related: What happens to your car if ICE stops you while you're driving?
What types of 287(g) agreements exist?
There are three types of 287(g) agreements:
- Jail Enforcement Model
- The Warrant Service Model
- Task Force Model, considered the most aggressive.
Task Force Model (the greatest power)
Several counties and municipal police departments in both states have the “Task Force” mode, considered the most aggressive of the three modalities of program 287(g).
Of the 29 agreements in North Carolina, two counties and four municipalities operate under the "Task Force" model, while of the 44 agreements with ICE in South Carolina, nine counties and 17 municipalities do. Additionally, in South Carolina, two state agencies have this 287(g) model, meaning they can implement it statewide.
ICE describes this type of agreement as “a force multiplier” which allows state and local law enforcement agencies to conduct immigration arrests as part of their routine policing duties.
“This model, the broadest and deepest form of complicity with ICE, essentially turns police officers into ICE agents,” he says. ACLU of North Carolina on its website.
“Vacationing at the beach can be dangerous.”
The 287(g) Task Force Model was discontinued under President Obama following repeated and documented civil rights abuses associated with the program, including the racial characterizationICE revived the model in 2025.
“Under this system, a minor traffic violation can quickly escalate into a vehicle inspection migratory status The transfer to ICE custody has already been made. In practice, going to beach vacation "It can be dangerous for an undocumented person," López noted.
In North Carolina
Sheriff's Offices of the counties of Onslow and Columbus (2).
Municipalities in police departments of: Robbins (Moore County), Newland (Avery County), Beulaville (Duplin County) and Brookford (Catawba County) (4).
In South Carolina
County Sheriff's Offices: Beauford, Berkeley, Chester, Laurens, Georgetown, Jasper, Kershaw, Pickens and Union (9).
Municipalities in police departments of: Clinton (Laurens), *Coward (Florence), Duncan (Spartanburg), *Elloree (Orangeburg), *Eutawville (Orangeburg), *Gaston (Lexington), Harleyville (Dorchester), *Holly Hill (Orangeburg), Jamestown (Berkeley), *North Police (Orangeburg), *Olanta (Florence), *Pelion (Lexington), *Perry (Aiken), Ridgeway (Fairfield), *Salley (Aiken), *Santee (Orangeburg), *Scranton (Florence) (17).
*There are several municipalities in the same county.
State agencies: South Carolina Department of Public Safety (SCDPS) and South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SCLED).
Jail Enforcement Model (more power, only in prisons)
Under this model, ICE delegates certain immigration authorities to state and local law enforcement agencies to identify immigrants in state and local custody and place them in immigration proceedings.
Prison officials in local jails, under the supervision of ICE, are empowered by the federal government to substitute for it and interrogate people in their custody about their immigration status and direct them to deportation.
“The 287(g) prison enforcement agreements put the enforcement of immigration laws at the center of local jails, delegating to prison officials tasks for which they are ill-prepared and increasing the likelihood of errors and abuses,” the ACLU of North Carolina notes.
The ACLU explains that these agreements are usually accompanied by contracts to rent jail space and to detain migrants in removal proceedings or those awaiting deportation, allowing counties to profit monetarily from the cruelty present in migrant detention.
According to ICE, this model is designed to identify and process deportable aliens—with criminal or pending charges—who are arrested by state or local law enforcement agencies. Authorized officers can then file an administrative hold request with ICE to detain the person for up to 48 hours after they would otherwise be released, allowing ICE officers to pick up the individual.Similar to law HB 318 of North Carolina).
In North Carolina
County Sheriff's Offices: Person, Henderson, Gaston and Cabarrus (4).
In South Carolina
County Sheriff's Offices: Hurry, Lexington and York (3).
Warrant Service Model (limited powers)
This type of agreement allows ICE to train, certify, and authorize local law enforcement officers to serve and execute immigration court and administrative orders on people already in custody at their agency's jail.
The federal government created this version of the agreement in 2019 and it is sometimes called “287(g)-lite” because it has required less training and delegated fewer responsibilities to local police.
In North Carolina
County Sheriff's Offices: Catawba, Carteret, Union, Onslow, Cherokee, Craven, Columbus, Brunswick, Avery, Yancey, Duplin, Lincoln, Randolph, Alamance, Albemarle, Caldwell, Nash, Cleveland and Rockingham (19).
In South Carolina
County Sheriff's Offices: Anderson, Berkeley, Charleston, Chester, Dorchester, Georgetown, Greenville, Lancaster, McCormick, Newberry, Oconee, Pickens, Spartanburg and Union (14).
What to do if you are in a 287(g) jurisdiction?
All people in the United States, regardless of their citizenship or immigration status, have rights guaranteed by the Constitution.
The ACLU recommends "Know Your Rights" so that individuals can protect themselves and their loved ones. But in addition to knowing their rights, undocumented individuals should follow certain recommendations when driving a vehicle.
*See the Immigration Guide of Enlace Latino NC
“We always recommend that the person try to drive at the limit, that they have all the available documents in order, the car insurance, the license plate up to date and everything in the car in good working order,” López commented.
But if a person is stopped for any reason while driving or as a passenger, they should know their rights.
“The first thing we recommend is not to answer questions about your immigration status, not to sign any documents without legal advice, to have an emergency plan, and to have powers of attorney ready for a family member or lawyer. It’s about having and taking steps to reduce the risks,” López explained.
López also said that, generally, immigrant families have mixed immigration statuseswhich means that a family can include citizens, permanent residents, and undocumented immigrants.
“In this situation, it would be recommended that the person who is a citizen or legal resident use those privileges and rights of having a driver's license and he took it as a duty to protect his family,” he said.
“Other families don’t have anyone with legal immigration status, so it’s each person’s decision whether to take the risk. Although one of the things that can eliminate that risk is to refrain from driving or traveling to places with risky immigration policies,” he added.
These agreements create fear and uncertainty in the communities
In the current climate of uncertainty in the United States, due to the tightening of immigration policies and the risk to undocumented immigrants resulting from the increase in ICE operations, the expansion of programs like 287(g) in the Carolinas increases fear in communities.
“It is a fact that our state has become a critical place for the expansion of this type of agreement, in a disproportionate number, which has generated a climate of fear and uncertainty among migrant communities,” says López.
López said that rumors of immigration activity cause people to panic and stop carrying out their daily activities.
“People aren’t taking their children to school; they’re avoiding the pediatrician if they arrive at the clinic and see police nearby, or workers are leaving construction sites because they imagine they saw immigration officials loitering,” he said. “These policies are affecting people’s daily lives in unimaginable ways,” he added.
This situation was evident firsthand during the week-long "Charlotte's Web" operation carried out in November by the Border Patrol (CBP) in the Charlotte and Triangle area, which, according to data from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), resulted in at least 425 arrests.
López said that the ACLU at the national level has collected specific data for its extensive 77-page report “Deputized for Disaster” “Delegate for Disaster”, on the impact of agreements 287(g).
“These agreements violate people’s civil rights, have a significant cost for taxpayers, and cause a loss of trust in local police. These agreements are not positive for the immigrant community or the community at large,” he noted.
State laws that increase ICE's power
In North Carolina, HB 318 went into effect in October, deepening the scope of sheriffs' collaboration with ICE and reinforcing HB 10, in effect since December 2024. This law requires all sheriff's offices in the 100 counties to collaborate with ICE.
HB 10 only required this notification for some serious crimes. Now, with HB 318, the list of crimes is much broader.
In South Carolina, progress is being made House Bill 4764 which would require all local and county law enforcement agencies with a detention facility to participate in one of the three models of the 287(g) program.
Where to go
You can go to the website of the ACLU of North Carolina to obtain information on how to know your rights as an immigrant, report civil rights violations, or find out about organizations that have community advocacy hotlines.
The website of the ACLU of South Carolina It also offers information on "Knowing Your Rights." You can also find more details about 287(g) agreements on the ACLU of North Carolina and ACLU of South Carolina websites, where you'll find search tools for these programs by county and municipality.
PODCAST
After the storm
A year ago, Hurricane Helene struck western North Carolina. The Latino community responded with something stronger than the storm: solidarity.
🎧 In this episode, learn how Latino organizations transformed crisis into resilience.
▶️Press play to listen!
Republish our stories for free on your website or newspaper. We follow the Creative Commons license. Click the box and follow the instructions.
