The town of Carroll, New Hampshire (population 820), recently received $122,515 from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to fully cover the salaries of its four-officer police force. This payment marks one of the first instances of local governments directly benefiting financially from the Trump administration’s push to integrate local law enforcement into federal immigration enforcement.
The 287(g) Program: Federal Funds for Local Policing
In March, Carroll signed up for DHS’s “Task Force Model” under the 287(g) program. This agreement effectively deputized the town’s entire police department – chief, lieutenant, and two patrol officers – to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in federal immigration enforcement.
In return, DHS agreed to cover the costs associated with this assistance, including salaries. This incentivizes local police to participate in immigration enforcement by making it financially beneficial.
Widespread Adoption: 920 Agencies Signed Up
Carroll is not an isolated case. As of March 23, over 920 law enforcement agencies have joined the program, including 500 town, village, and city police departments. This includes four port/airport authorities and 16 university police departments in Florida alone. The scale suggests a deliberate effort by ICE to build a network of local enforcement partners.
Financial Incentives: From Equipment to Salaries
Internal ICE emails reveal aggressive recruitment tactics. In September, the agency offered up to $7,500 per officer for equipment and $100,000 for new vehicles if departments signed agreements. By October, ICE promised to cover officer salaries, overtime (up to 25%), and quarterly bonuses based on the number of undocumented individuals “successfully located.”
“Together, we are safeguarding the American people, working to strengthen the security and resilience of our nation, and upholding the rule of law,” one ICE recruitment message read. The agency is directly tying financial rewards to enforcement activity.
Operational Impact: Arrests and Data Control
Carroll’s police department made seven arrests linked to ICE custody after investigating DUI incidents in February. This illustrates how local officers are actively aiding federal immigration enforcement.
However, ICE is also tightly controlling information flow. The agency has published materials titled “How Can I Convince My Chief or Sheriff to Participate in 287(g)?” suggesting it’s targeting lower-level officers to bypass potential resistance from higher authorities.
Secret Agreements: Liability and Transparency
ICE operates under two agreement types: public and private. While the public version states that if Carroll officers are sued, the Department of Justice “may” defend them, the private agreement goes further. It pledges that if an immigrant sues Carroll over enforcement actions, ICE “will request that DOJ be responsible for the defense.”
This shifts legal liability away from local governments and onto the federal level.
The private agreement also restricts transparency. Carroll must coordinate with ICE’s public affairs office before releasing information to the media, and any state records requests are routed through ICE’s FOIA office – which often operates on much longer timelines.
Delays in Public Access: A Calculated Strategy
Records obtained through New Hampshire’s Right-to-Know Law show that even basic requests now trigger coordination with DHS. When WIRED filed requests with eight municipalities, one police lieutenant responded that the department would need to work with DHS before releasing records. This is a clear attempt to slow down and control public scrutiny.
The trend is concerning because it demonstrates a growing financial entanglement between local police departments and federal immigration enforcement. This raises questions about accountability, transparency, and the potential erosion of local autonomy in favor of federal control.
