A Review of 287g

Yesterday, the DHS had a hearing on the effectiveness of 287g authority. 287g authority gives local law enforcement the authority and training to conduct some aspects of immigration enforcement (it deputizes local law-enforcement officers to act as immigration enforcement agents). However, the GAO recently released its congressionally commissioned report on the 287(g) program.

The GAO report found that U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has not clearly articulated the objectives of the 287(g) program or the guidelines that participating police departments must follow, thereby creating confusion and mismanagement. Furthermore, ICE has not demonstrated effective oversight of the 67 partnership agreements and 950 officers who have been trained, potentially resulting in "misuse of authority." It had not designed a mechanism to st and meet objectives. Finally, participating police agencies have not consistently documented their activities, making it impossible to measure the success or failure of the program, or to justify the high costs associated with it.

The report said that Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials had told GAO investigators that the program was intended to address "serious crime . . . committed by removable aliens."

But the report said that, of 29 partner agencies reviewed, four said they used their 287(g) authority to process for removal immigrants stopped for minor violations such as speeding, carrying an open container of alcohol and urinating in public, "contrary to the objective of the program."