Dakota County now participates in two federal immigration enforcement models, Grant County in all three, and Howard County in the model that allows limited immigration functions during regular law enforcement duties.
Updated Sept. 2, 2026.
Three Nebraska sheriff’s offices have new or expanded partnerships with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under the federal 287(g) program, which allows trained local officers to perform certain immigration enforcement functions under ICE supervision.
The Dakota County Sheriff’s Office currently participates in the Jail Enforcement and Task Force models. The Grant County Sheriff’s Office participates in all three available models: Jail Enforcement, Task Force and Warrant Service Officer. The Howard County Sheriff’s Office is listed under the Task Force Model.
The authority granted to officers varies by agreement. The Task Force Model has the broadest reach, allowing designated officers to exercise limited immigration authority during routine law enforcement duties or while participating in an ICE-led task force.
Dakota County adds immigration authority beyond the jail setting
Dakota County, which includes South Sioux City and has Dakota City as its county seat, has Nebraska’s longest-running 287(g) relationship.
The sheriff’s office has participated in the program since 2018. For years, it operated under the Jail Enforcement Model, which focuses on people who are already in custody.
Its current participation also includes the Task Force Model.
Under that model, selected and trained officers may exercise limited immigration authority while carrying out regular law enforcement duties or participating in operations led by ICE.
The expansion is significant because some delegated immigration authority can now be exercised outside the jail setting.
Dakota County has also faced scrutiny over its participation in immigration enforcement. A 2021 investigation by the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties identified several concerns involving discriminatory conduct during immigration-related encounters by the sheriff’s office.
Grant County participates in all three 287(g) models
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office, based in Hyannis, is currently listed under the Jail Enforcement, Task Force and Warrant Service Officer models.
It is the only one of the three agencies highlighted in this expansion that participates in all three.
The Jail Enforcement Model allows designated personnel to identify and process certain immigration cases involving people already in custody who have pending or active criminal charges.
The Warrant Service Officer Model allows designated officers to serve and execute administrative immigration warrants on certain people who are already in custody.
The Task Force Model extends limited immigration authority into some routine law enforcement activities.
The Grant County Sheriff’s Office serves Hyannis, Whitman, Ashby and rural areas of the county.
Howard County joins 287(g) through the Task Force Model
The Howard County Sheriff’s Office is listed as participating in the Task Force Model.
The office serves a county that includes St. Paul, Boelus, Cushing, Elba and Farwell.
Under the model, officers who are selected, pass a background investigation and complete ICE training may exercise certain immigration authorities under federal direction and supervision.
ICE also requires candidates for the Task Force Model to have at least two years of law enforcement experience.
Eleven Nebraska agencies currently have 287(g) agreements
Nebraska’s participation in the program has expanded substantially since Dakota County was the state’s only participating agency.
An updated August list identifies 11 Nebraska state and local law enforcement agencies with active 287(g) agreements:
- Banner County Sheriff’s Office — Task Force Model
- Beatrice Police Department — Task Force Model
- Colfax County Sheriff’s Office — Task Force Model
- Dakota County Sheriff’s Office — Jail Enforcement and Task Force
- Fillmore County Sheriff’s Office — Task Force Model
- Grant County Sheriff’s Office — Jail Enforcement, Task Force and Warrant Service Officer
- Greeley County Sheriff’s Office — Task Force Model
- Howard County Sheriff’s Office — Task Force Model
- Nebraska Department of Correctional Services — Jail Enforcement Model
- Nebraska State Patrol — Task Force Model
- Sioux County Sheriff’s Office — Task Force Model
Nationwide, ICE reported Sept. 1 that it had signed more than 2,400 287(g) memoranda of agreement involving agencies in 39 states and two U.S. territories.
The three 287(g) models give local officers different authority
| 287(g) model | Primary function |
|---|---|
| Task Force Model | Allows designated officers to exercise limited immigration authority during routine law enforcement duties or as part of an ICE-led task force. |
| Jail Enforcement Model | Allows designated personnel to identify and process certain immigration cases involving people already in custody with pending or active criminal charges. |
| Warrant Service Officer Model | Allows designated officers to serve and execute administrative immigration warrants on certain people already in custody. |
Participation requires a Memorandum of Agreement between ICE and the local or state law enforcement agency. Designated officers receive training related to the immigration functions they will perform.
The official ICE 287(g) program page and participating-agency information are updated as new agreements are signed or existing partnerships change.
ICE and civil rights groups disagree over the program’s effect on public safety
ICE says 287(g) agreements strengthen cooperation between federal and local law enforcement and help identify and remove people the agency considers public safety threats.
Civil rights organizations dispute that assessment.
ACLU of Nebraska argues that involving local police and sheriff’s offices in immigration enforcement can reduce trust among immigrant residents, discourage victims or witnesses from reporting crimes and increase the risk of racial profiling.
The organization has also argued that the agreements divert local law enforcement resources toward duties that would otherwise fall under federal immigration enforcement.
The debate has also reached the Nebraska Legislature. During the 2026 session, LB 881 proposed requiring advance notice and a public hearing before state or local agencies entered into certain 287(g) agreements. Hola Nebraska previously covered the Nebraska legislative debate over immigration enforcement agreements with ICE during committee hearings.
Law enforcement agencies that support 287(g), meanwhile, have described the agreements as tools for cooperating with federal authorities, receiving specialized training and expanding their ability to respond to cases involving immigration violations.
The list of participating agencies can change as ICE signs new memoranda or modifies existing agreements.
Stay informed about what’s happening in your community. Your source for stories that inspire — visit HolaNebraska.org for news, culture and community updates across Nebraska.
