Texas Counties Face Deadline to Partner with ICE Under New State Law

Mandatory Partnerships Transform Immigration Enforcement

Texas counties with populations exceeding 100,000 residents are racing against a year-end deadline to formalize partnerships with Immigration and Customs Enforcement under a new state law. Counties have until the end of 2026 to sign on and implement one of three enforcement models through the federal 287(g) program.

A new state law passed in last year's legislative session requires sheriffs in all counties with a jail to enter into such agreements, also known as the 287(g) program, this year. The mandate represents a significant shift in how local law enforcement agencies interact with federal immigration authorities across the state.

Counties that do not participate by the end-of-year deadline could face legal action from the Texas Attorney General. Senate Bill 8 gives the AG the authority to take noncompliant jurisdictions to court.

Three Models, Different Approaches

Counties must choose from three distinct enforcement frameworks. Under the task force model, officers can use enforcement power in routine work or while assisting an ICE-led task force. The warrant service officer program allows local officers to serve and execute administrative warrants on migrants in local custody. The jail enforcement model focuses on identifying and processing people eligible for removal who are already in county jails.

Bexar County has already signed on, becoming one of the first large urban areas in the state to do so. Bexar County chose the Warrant Service Officer Model. Sheriff Javier Salazar says it was the most cost-effective option for taxpayers and allowed patrol deputies to operate as usual. Under the agreement, one deputy will be assigned to serve ICE warrants inside the county jail.

Financial incentives sweeten the deal for participating counties. ICE will reimburse agencies for overtime related to immigration enforcement. "Once it becomes an ICE issue, like we're waiting 45 minutes for ICE to arrive, they will actually compensate us on an overtime basis and pay back Bexar County taxpayers," Vojvodich says.

Community Impact and Concerns

The enforcement changes are already generating community anxiety and operational challenges. She visited an area in the Panhandle that implemented the task force model and saw a difference in community behaviors, she said. "People were afraid to send their kids to school," Gómez said. "They weren't visiting restaurants or doing shopping like they used to because they were scared."

Daily ICE arrests in Texas have jumped from an average of 85 per day during the final 18 months of the Biden Administration to 176 per day in the first six months under Trump, according to a Tribune analysis. Since Trump returned to the White House, more than half of ICE arrests in Texas have come from local jails, according to the Tribune analysis.

Recent incidents have heightened tensions around immigration enforcement. Concern over immigration operations have sparked protests across the nation, following two US citizens who were killed by federal officials in Minneapolis this month. Minnesotan Renee Good, 37, was shot and killed in her car by an ICE agent on Jan. 7.

Looking Ahead

The implementation timeline creates pressure for counties still weighing their options. The Travis County Sheriff's Office wrote in a statement that it has not decided on a model yet. To comply with the law, the Travis County Sheriff's Office has until Dec. Major metropolitan areas like Austin and San Antonio continue evaluating which model best serves their communities while meeting state requirements.

State officials remain firm in their support for expanded immigration enforcement. The governor's office is urging compliance with the program. In a statement, Abbott's press secretary, Andrew Mahaleris says: Governor Abbott fully supports using every tool and strategy to aid in the Trump Administration's deportation of illegal immigrants, and city and county officials across the state should fully cooperate in those efforts.

As the deadline approaches, counties face balancing federal mandates, community safety concerns, and local political considerations. The choices made in 2026 will reshape immigration enforcement across Texas for years to come, potentially affecting millions of residents in communities where trust between law enforcement and immigrant populations has taken decades to build.