The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) reports that the Mahanoy City Borough Police Department and the Schuylkill County Sheriff’s Office have signed Memorandums of Agreement (MOAs) under the 287(g) program.
The Mahanoy Township Police Department is listed as pending participation.
What Is the 287(g) Program?
The 287(g) program, authorized under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, allows ICE to delegate certain immigration enforcement functions to state and local law enforcement agencies (LEAs) that enter into formal agreements with the federal agency.
ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations currently operates four models under the program:
Jail Enforcement Model (JEM)
Designed to identify and process removable noncitizens with criminal convictions or pending criminal charges who are arrested by state or local law enforcement.
Task Force Model (TFM)
Allows officers to enforce limited immigration authority during routine police duties under ICE oversight.
Tribal Task Force Model
Provides similar authority to tribal law enforcement agencies under federal law (Title 25 USC 2804).
Warrant Service Officer (WSO) Program
Trains and authorizes state and local officers to serve and execute administrative immigration warrants within their agency’s jail.
Participation Requirements
Participation is limited to law enforcement agencies only. Agencies must:
- Sign a Memorandum of Agreement with ICE
- Nominate officers who are U.S. citizens
- Ensure nominees pass background investigations
- Confirm officers have law enforcement experience
- For Task Force Model participation, officers must have at least two years of total law enforcement experience
Training related to immigration duties is provided at ICE’s expense.
Executive Order Expands Program
On January 20, 2025, Donald Trump issued Executive Order 14159, titled “Protecting the American People Against Invasion.”The executive order directs ICE to authorize qualified state and local law enforcement officials under Section 287(g) to the maximum extent permitted by law. Several states, including Georgia and Florida, have passed or are considering legislation requiring law enforcement agencies to seek agreements with ICE under the program.
Nationwide Participation
As of February 18, 2026, at 12:55 p.m., ICE reports:
- 1,427 Memorandums of Agreement signed nationwide
- Covering 40 states
Breakdown of agreements includes:
- 152 Jail Enforcement Model agreements in 32 states
- 465 Warrant Service Officer agreements in 35 states
- 809 Task Force Model agreements in 35 states
ICE states the agreements are intended to enhance cooperation between federal immigration authorities and local law enforcement agencies.
At this time, no additional details have been released regarding the specific model or operational scope of the Schuylkill County agencies’ participation.
Skook News will provide updates as more information becomes available.