Texas Sheriffs Drafted as Deportation Agents
Senate Bill 8 mandates local law enforcement to join ICE’s 287(g) program, turning Texas sheriffs into federal immigration agents and raising fears of racial profiling and eroded trust.
In Texas, the badge just got a second job: deportation officer. With the passage of Senate Bill 8, a sweeping new law requiring most Texas sheriffs to enter formal cooperation agreements with ICE, the state is formalizing what many have long feared—the collapse of any line between local law enforcement and federal immigration enforcement.
The bill, now headed to Governor Greg Abbott’s desk with his full support, effectively forces sheriffs in over 90% of Texas counties to sign on to ICE’s 287(g) program. This federal framework deputizes local officers with the power to interrogate, detain, and hand over immigrants—even if those immigrants have committed no state or local crimes.
The move gives the Trump administration something it’s always wanted: a vast, decentralized deportation force without federal oversight.
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Sheriffs Become ICE Foot Soldiers
Until now, 287(g) agreements were voluntary, limited to certain counties, and primarily operated in jails. SB 8 blows that model wide open. The final version lets sheriffs choose between three types of agreements, including the notorious “task force model” that puts immigration screening directly on the streets. That model was previously shelved due to rampant racial profiling under Arizona’s Joe Arpaio.
But in Texas, it's back.
Already, 73 agencies—including the Texas National Guard and Attorney General’s office—participate in 287(g) jail programs. SB 8 mandates that others join in, or risk being left out of new state grant money meant to ease the “burden” of doubling as ICE agents.
And burden it is. These partnerships cost money, burn out local resources, and erode public trust, critics say. But to Republicans in Austin, it’s not about logistics. It’s about sending a message.
Public Safety or Political Theater?
“This bill isn’t just about border security—it’s about public safety,” Rep. David Spiller (R-Jacksboro) claimed after the House passed the bill 89-52. But critics argue the public safety rationale is a political smokescreen—especially when the programs in question are known to target people based on skin color, language, or perceived nationality.
During floor debate, State Senator Roland Gutierrez (D-San Antonio), himself an immigration attorney, put it bluntly: “Are you not afraid that what this bill will actually do is encourage cops to pull over trucks full of people who ‘look Mexican’?”
Sen. Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown), the bill’s co-author, replied: “There are obviously inherent biases of individuals. That said, there is training.” A nod, perhaps, to the fact that Trump’s DHS is working to shorten that training.
So much for safeguards.
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Policing by Profile
The Trump administration—and its allies in Texas—are resurrecting one of the most controversial aspects of his first term: outsourcing federal immigration control to local cops trained for entirely different work.
In Arizona, under Arpaio, the 287(g) program led to constitutional violations, widespread fear, and lawsuits that cost taxpayers millions. In Texas, lawmakers seem unfazed. “Voters asked for this,” Schwertner said.
The End of “Sanctuary”
Texas is no stranger to these battles. Since 2017, the state has banned sanctuary cities and forced local police to ask about immigration status. But SB 8 goes further—it mandates cooperation. Local governments have no discretion to resist. The state will deputize, fund, and punish as needed.
Under the Biden administration, the Justice Department sued Texas for overstepping federal authority. But the Trump administration has dropped those lawsuits—and encouraged other red states to follow Texas’s lead.
This is more than policy. It’s a national blueprint.
1.6 Million Targets
Texas is home to 1.6 million undocumented immigrants—many of them long-time residents, workers, and parents of U.S. citizens. SB 8 doesn’t distinguish between violent criminals and people whose only offense is overstaying a visa. Everyone without papers becomes a target.
And local police? They’re caught in the middle—forced to pick between trust and compliance, between public safety and federal pressure.
“SB 8 will not make our communities safer,” said Sarah Cruz of the ACLU of Texas. “It will force sheriffs to do the work of ICE in support of the federal government’s shameful mass deportation efforts.”
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Conclusion: Deputized to Divide
SB 8 marks the formal merger of local policing and immigration enforcement in Texas. But the deeper impact will be psychological: a chilling effect on immigrant communities, who now have even fewer safe spaces. For Texas lawmakers, that’s not collateral damage—it’s the point. Because when ICE can’t be everywhere, they’ll make sure your sheriff is.