Trump Admin Working With Local Law Enforcement, Signs Memo With 562 Groups
In a bold and sweeping expansion of federal immigration enforcement, the Trump administration is leaning into a powerful legal tool that could redefine the scope of deportation efforts across the United States.
A newly revealed memo from the Department of Homeland Security outlines a dramatic increase in state and local partnerships—agreements that effectively deputize police to carry out core immigration enforcement duties alongside federal agents.
The numbers alone are staggering: 562 agreements have been signed, marking a 316% increase from the Biden administration’s total over four years. This is not just policy expansion—it’s an operational surge.
Under these agreements, law enforcement officers gain access to ICE databases, are authorized to place detainers on arrestees, and can participate directly in raids and operations, all under ICE’s oversight. This structure—legally backed and federally coordinated—could be the key to meeting the Trump administration’s goal of deporting at least one million illegal aliens per year.
In a first-of-its-kind partnership between state and federal partners, ICE Miami and Florida law enforcement arrested nearly 800 illegal aliens this week during the first four days of #OperationTidalWave — a massive, multi-agency, immigration enforcement crackdown.
💡Learn how… pic.twitter.com/LbH3j4OJU9
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) April 26, 2025
And it’s already yielding results. According to DHS, since January 20, over 1,100 criminal illegal aliens have been arrested thanks to these partnerships. More than 5,000 officers have been trained, and the administration is touting these numbers not only as proof of concept, but as a direct rebuke to critics who label the initiative as overreach.
One example stands out: Operation Tidal Wave. Launched in Florida, this joint effort led to the arrest of 1,120 criminal illegal aliens in just six days—a dramatic sweep that netted rapists, murderers, drug traffickers, and MS-13 gang members. It’s being framed by DHS as a prototype of what national coordination can look like when the gloves come off.
Still, the memo doesn’t shy away from calling out jurisdictions that refuse to sign on. Without a formal agreement, local agencies are locked out of key databases and can’t initiate ICE holds, making them far less effective in targeting illegal alien populations. And in sanctuary jurisdictions, enforcement is hamstrung altogether.
The language of the memo is unmistakably forceful: “America is no longer a sanctuary for criminal aliens. We will find you. We will hunt you down. We will deport you. And you will never come back.”