Former US homeland security watchdogs have warned that the Trump administration's rapid expansion of a programme deputising local police to enforce federal immigration law poses a threat to civil rights nationwide. The programme, known as 287(g), allows local law enforcement to detain, arrest and interrogate immigrants on behalf of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The watchdogs, who were ousted last year from the Department of Homeland Security’s Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties (CRCL), said they had compiled a Congressionally mandated report highlighting civil rights violations by some participating agencies. The report has not been published, and former officials fear it is being suppressed by the administration.
Peter Mina, the former deputy officer for CRCL, said: “The office doesn’t exist now – at least not in its previous form. How could there be meaningful oversight of the 287(g) program?” He noted that training and execution were lacking, increasing risks of racial profiling.
Katerina Herodotou, another former official, described the expansion as “more than alarming” and “a threat to civil rights nationwide”. The programme has grown rapidly since Donald Trump returned to the White House, with ICE data showing around 7,000 arrests in 2025, up from 3,000 in 2024.
