Morton explains ICE's rescission‎ of 287(g) agreements in Arizona

July 11, 2012 | By Zach Rausnitz

The jail model for 287(g) immigration enforcement partnerships has been productive, but the task-force model hasn't, said John Morton, director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, on July 10.

Morton spoke at a hearing of the House Homeland Security subcommittee on border and maritime security. The seven 287(g) agreements with Arizona agencies that ICE rescinded June 25 were task-force agreements, and six of them had resulted in no removals in the past 2 years, Morton noted.

ICE uses the 287(g) program to delegate immigration enforcement authority to state and local law enforcement. It has 68 active agreements, with 40 under the jail model, 20 under the task-force model and eight involving both. To date this year, this jail model has resulted in over 9,000 removals, while the task-force model has resulted in 361 removals, Morton said.

He said the task-force agreements have been unproductive "largely for economic reasons in the jurisdictions where they are found."

The Homeland Security Department announced in its fiscal 2013 budget proposal that it would phase out 287(g) agreements. In a June 6 statement of administration policy, the White House said (.pdf) the Secure Comminutes program was a more consistent and efficient way to identify and remove illegal immigrants.

ICE rescinded the seven agreements with Arizona law enforcement agencies the same day the Supreme Court ruled on the state's controversial immigration law, known as SB 1070. The court left intact Section 2(B), which requires state officers to try to determine the immigration status of anyone they stop, detain or arrest, if they have reasonable suspicion that the person is an illegal immigrant. In announcing ICE's decision, a senior administration official said it rescinded the agreements to minimize the impact of that rule.

Morton explains ICE's rescission‎ of 287(g) agreements in Arizona - FierceHomelandSecurity

Morton explains ICE's rescission

Homeland Security Newsletter - FierceHomelandSecurity