EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office gave county commissioners and the public a closer look Monday, May 18 at how it plans to comply with Senate Bill 8, a Texas law requiring sheriffs who operate county jails to enter into agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Offices across Texas must participate in what is known as a 287(g) agreement with ICE. However, the level of involvement can vary depending on which model a county chooses.

During Monday’s presentation, the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office said it moved forward with the Warrant Service Officer model which officials described as the “least intrusive” option and the one most similar to current jail operations.

Chief Deputy Emmanuel Soria said the model focuses on people already in custody inside the County jail.

“Ideally how it works when an individual is taken into custody is taken into the jail, ICE will walk up a detainer into the window and say we need this individual once he’s done with state charges. This changes nothing as far on our end. It’s not a proactive measure for us to be the immigration business,” Soria said.

Under the Warrant Service Officer model, deputies would continue working with ICE inside the jail. According to the presentation, individuals could be held for up to 48 hours after their release from local custody while waiting for ICE pickup.

Officials said the other two models allowed under Senate Bill 8 involve a broader level of immigration enforcement. Those include the Jail Enforcement Model, which gives deputies a larger role in immigration enforcement inside the jail, and the Task Force Model, which involves field-based immigration enforcement operations outside the jail.

Soria said the Sheriff’s Office chose the Warrant Service Officer model because it requires fewer resources and less operational impact than the other options.

The Sheriff’s Office also said selected deputies would still need additional training and certification through ICE before the program can begin.

Officials added that the program has not yet started and that several steps still need to happen before full implementation, including training, certifications and operational planning.

During Monday’s meeting, County leaders said transparency with the community remains important as the program moves forward.

“We have a large immigrant community. We have a large Hispanic community,” El Paso County Commissioner David Stout said. “Public safety is important. And part of public safety is being able to trust what local authorities are doing, especially when it comes to immigration enforcement.”

The County is also eligible for a $120,000 state grant that could help cover costs associated with training, staffing, jail housing and equipment related to the program.

However, officials said the grant is unlikely to cover all long-term costs associated with implementation.

The compliance deadline for sheriff’s offices across Texas is Dec. 1, 2026. Under Senate Bill 8, the Texas attorney general can take legal action against sheriff’s offices that fail to comply with the law.

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