Texas Rolls Out $140K Grants to Sheriffs Who Deepen ICE Partnership Through 287(g)

The State of Texas is offering sheriffs as much as $140,000 to bolster cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), tying the new funding directly to participation in the federal 287(g) program. Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced the initiative Thursday, calling it a force multiplier for sheriffs working to identify and detain criminal migrants, as more than half of Texas counties qualify.

County Sheriffs in the Lone Star State will soon be able to receive up to $140,000 to augment their budgets if they ramp up assistance to ICE. To qualify, departments must have entered into one of three immigration law-enforcement agreements offered under the federal government’s 287(g) program.

Texas Senate Bill 8, passed by the 89^th Texas Legislature and signed into law by Texas Governor Greg Abbott, authorizes the state to provide funding ranging from $80,000 to $140,000 per eligible county, based on population.

Texas Comptroller Kelly Hancock announced the details and availability of funding under the Sheriff Immigration Law Enforcement Grant Program on Thursday in a press event in Tarrant County, standing alongside Sheriff Bill Waybourn and County Judge Tim O’Hare. Hancock provided additional details in a Thursday press release highlighting the program.

Hancock spoke about the safety implications of the program, telling attendees at the press event, “Public safety starts with enforcing the law. This program supports sheriffs as they work with immigration authorities to remove criminal offenders, maintain order, and keep Texas communities safe.”

According to state records, more than half of all counties, at least 150 of 254, are currently eligible to apply for the funds. That number may climb as more counties elect to enter into ICE agreements under the 287(g) program in the future.

Under the grant program, funds may be used only for enhanced cooperation with ICE under 287(g) agreements that are not otherwise reimbursed by the federal government. Activities that may be funded under the new grant program include compensating personnel for duties under an existing agreement with ICE, required reporting and administrative functions, equipment procurement, replacement, or repair, and training costs associated with detaining inmates under the authority of the agreement, among others.

According to program guidelines, funding will be made available based on the latest federal census data as follows

• $80,000 in counties with populations of 99,999 or fewer.
• $100,000 in counties with populations of at least 100,000 and fewer than 499,999.
• $120,000 in counties with populations of at least 500,000 and fewer than 999,999; and
• $140,000 in counties with populations of 1 million or more.

According to the Comptroller’s office, eligibility for the grants opened at the beginning of the year, and the first disbursements of grant funds are expected to be distributed in March. Additional funding under the program will be provided if other qualified counties choose to apply for the grant.

Some counties have acted quickly to secure grant funding that requires the formal approval of county commissioners’ courts. In Tyler, county commissioners voted 4-1 on Tuesday to allow their county sheriff to apply for $100,000 based on Smith County’s population, according to a report by KTTV. The county’s lone Democrat commissioner cast the only dissenting vote.

Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol.  Before his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X @RandyClarkBBTX.