The Trump administration has transformed American law enforcement into a vast deportation apparatus, deploying more than 25,000 federal agents outside of ICE to immigration enforcement and funneling a quarter-billion dollars to state and local police to make arrests, according to a new ACLU report.
The scale is staggering. Between January and December 2025, roughly one in five FBI special agents, along with state troopers, local police, and even wildlife officers, have been diverted to immigration work. ICE alone hired 12,000 new agents in record time. By some estimates, Congress has directed $240 billion toward immigration enforcement since July 2025.
What distinguishes this push is its reach. Streets, schools, hospitals, courts, and worksites have become enforcement zones. Federal agents increasingly operate in unmarked vehicles, wear gear labeled simply "POLICE," and conduct masked operations, making it difficult for people to know who is stopping them or what authority they possess.
The ACLU's analysis of 1,213 cases across eight states uncovered 375 incidents involving force or threatened force. Officers pushed, shoved, tackled, or pinned people 418 times. Chemical irritants were deployed 361 times. Vehicle windows were smashed 47 times. Stun guns were used 33 times.
ICE has leveraged financial incentives to pull local agencies into the operation. The agency has paid or promised $257 million under 287(g) agreements, which deputize state and local police into federal deportation work. Some agencies receive more than $40,000 per participating officer. Estimates for 2026 payouts range from $1.4 billion to $2 billion.
State agencies once focused on traffic safety and wildlife management have taken on immigration sweeps. The Florida Highway Patrol and Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries now conduct routine immigration enforcement.
This blurring of roles has raised accountability questions. Because much of the funding came through congressional reconciliation bills rather than traditional appropriations, oversight mechanisms have been sidelined. It is now harder for Congress to track which agency acted, who paid for it, and who answers for any abuses.
The confusion over authority has provided a backdrop to violent incidents. Four fatal ICE shootings have occurred this year, including two in the past week in Houston and Biddefeld, Maine. After those shootings, ICE suspended most vehicle stops nationwide, but the White House reversed the decision, with Trump calling the tactic one of the agency's "most important and effective" tools.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin has signaled the expansion will continue, telling outlets that the administration will reimburse state and local agencies for equipment and officer time when they partner with ICE on enforcement operations.
The ACLU argues the sprawling operation erodes community trust in local police. When citizens cannot distinguish between a genuine local officer and a federal agent, it undermines the cooperation that makes neighborhood policing function. ICE and the Department of Homeland Security did not respond to requests for comment on the report.
Author James Rodriguez: "This is turning community police into immigration bounty hunters, and the financial incentives make it clear Washington is betting local departments will take the deal."
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