ICE Pays Local Police $100,000+ in Vehicles and Equipment as Financial Incentives to Sign 287(g) Agreements — NPR Investigation

NPR published an investigation on May 5, 2026 revealing that ICE is providing substantial financial incentives to local law enforcement agencies to persuade them to sign onto the 287(g) immigration enforcement program. DHS is promising $100,000 for new vehicles and potentially tens of thousands of additional dollars in equipment to agencies that enter 287(g) Memorandums of Agreement, deputizing local officers to perform federal immigration enforcement functions. The financial payments represent a significant expansion of the federal government's leverage to expand local immigration enforcement cooperation — particularly in jurisdictions where elected officials or police departments have previously declined to cooperate. As of May 5, 2026, ICE had active 287(g) MOAs with 1,786 jurisdictions across 39 states and 2 territories — covering at least 77.2 million Americans (32% of the country). FWD.us estimates the total financial incentives could reach $2 billion in 2026 alone. Civil liberties advocates warned that offering direct financial payments to law enforcement for immigration enforcement creates a structural incentive for racial profiling — agencies have a financial motive to increase immigration enforcement activity to maximize equipment allocations. The ACLU and National Immigration Law Center called the financial incentive program a 'bounty system' that commodifies civil immigration enforcement.