Federal-State-Local Law Enforcement Partnership Programs
Overview and Program Mechanisms
Federal-state-local partnership programs, including Secure Communities and 287(g) agreements, are designed to formalize information sharing and joint enforcement actions between Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and local/state law enforcement agencies.
- Secure Communities uses nationwide automated fingerprint checks; anyone booked into jail by local police is checked against federal immigration databases. If there is a “match,” ICE may issue an immigration detainer for possible deportation[1][5][10].
- 287(g) authorizes participating local officers to function as immigration enforcement agents (after federal training), allowing them to initiate detainer and removal processes and share intelligence.
- Both programs are central to the integration of counterterrorism and immigration enforcement since the late 2000s, with Secure Communities fully active in all U.S. counties and the number of 287(g) agreements expanding in recent years[5].
Sources: ICE[5], TRAC[1], Migration Policy Institute[10], NYU Law[2], EPI[7] (as of July 2025).
Program Data and Metrics (Latest Available)
3,181
Jurisdictions in Secure Communities (100% coverage)
832
Active 287(g) Agreements (U.S., 2025 est.)
43,300
ICE Claimed Removals (Jan–Mar 2017, Secure Communities)[1]
10,893
ICE Recorded Removals in that period (all convictions)[1]
4,850
Removals for serious crime conviction (Mar 2017)[1]
- As of 2025, Secure Communities is operational in every U.S. county, including all five boroughs of New York City[5].
- Approximately 3,600 U.S. citizens have been detained via Secure Communities nationwide since inception[4].
Operational and Community Effects: Research Findings
| Study/Report | Key Findings | New York Context |
|---|---|---|
| NYU/University of Chicago Empirical Study (2014)[2][9] | No significant effect on local or violent crime rates after Secure Communities rollout. | Crime rates in NYC did not shift measurably with implementation; local arrests and detentions increased. |
| ICE OIG (2012), internal review[3] | Enhances ICE’s ability to identify removable noncitizens; effective for earlier identification in the criminal justice process. | Earlier identification of removable individuals within NYC jails; aligns with expanded ICE presence. |
| TRAC Syracuse Data (2017)[1][4] | Majority of detained individuals under Secure Communities had minor or no criminal records; most deportation cases lack legal counsel. | NYC has large populations potentially affected by detainers, though city’s sanctuary policies can limit cooperation. |
| CIS and Advocacy Group Analyses (2025)[4] | Possible racial/ethnic disparities: Latinos are overrepresented in Secure Communities detentions relative to population share. | New York advocacy groups monitor impact on communities and legal process access. |
| Economic Policy Institute (2023)[7] | Secure Communities correlated with reduction in U.S.-born employment in affected sectors; no robust evidence of crime drop. | Potential workforce impacts in New York’s labor-intensive sectors; no observed crime rate effect in NYC. |
Potential Impact on New York
- Operational: NYPD and NYC correctional institutions interact with ICE via biometric checks and detainers as required, but municipal policies may restrict wider cooperation. Joint enforcement actions affect arrest processing and housing of detainees.
- Community-Police Relations: Data indicate such partnership policies influence trust in law enforcement among immigrant and minority communities[1][4]; local advocacy groups track these impacts.
- Due Process: Nationally, individuals detained through Secure Communities are much less likely to have legal representation and to be granted relief from removal compared to all immigration court respondents[4].
- Evolving Local Policy: New York City maintains “sanctuary city” policies limiting support for civil immigration enforcement except as required by law, adjusting implementation of federal partnership programs.
Legal and Policy Considerations
- 287(g) and Secure Communities are authorized by the Immigration and Nationality Act and ICE internal policy[5].
- Levels of participation and enforcement discretion vary by jurisdiction. NYC’s sanctuary status reduces certain federal-local coordination points.
- Research shows partnership programs are highly effective at identifying noncitizens in jails but present questions about targeting, due process, and crime control effects[3][4][2].
Dashboard date: Tuesday, July 22, 2025, 8:29 PM EDT