Tennessee legislature passes bill requiring county sheriffs to enter agreement under 287(g) immigration program

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - Tennessee lawmakers have passed a bill that would require sheriffs of each county to enter an agreement under an available federal 287(g) immigration enforcement program by Jan. 1, 2027.

If sheriff’s offices do not enter the agreement, the bill says that violations could result in the state withholding funds allotted to the agency or local government for use by the agency.

The bill does allow for sheriff’s offices to temporarily suspend compliance with the agreement during emergencies that would require deputies to be redirected to respond to public safety threats.

Related — Data: More than 50 Tennessee agencies partnering with ICE in 2026

ICE has three 287(g) Program models:

• The Jail Enforcement Model allows officers to identify and process removable aliens currently in jail or detention facilities who have pending or active criminal charges while they’re in their custody.
• The Task Force Model allows officers to enforce limited immigration authority while performing routine police duties, such as identifying an alien at a DUI checkpoint and sharing information directly with ICE. An ICE supervisor determines next steps. These officers may also exercise limited immigration authority as active participants on ICE-led task forces.
• Under the Warrant Service Officer Program, ICE trains, certifies and authorizes your officers to serve and execute administrative warrants on aliens currently in your agency’s custody.

More: State Republican immigration enforcement bills move forward despite protest and push back

The bill would also allow for other law enforcement agencies to enter into these 287(g) agreements.

Additionally, the bill requires immigration-related reporting using law enforcement data to be broken out individually.