EL PASO, TEXAS (KFOX14\/CBS4) \u2014 El Paso County leaders are set to review a new partnership between the Sheriff\u2019s Office and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that would change how certain immigration-related warrants are handled locally.<\/p>\n
The proposal will be presented during the El Paso County Commissioners Court meeting on Monday, May 18 at 9:30 a.m., as part of a statewide requirement under Texas Senate Bill 8.<\/p>\n
El Paso County Sheriff Oscar Ugarte has selected the Warrant Service Officer program, one of three options available under federal 287(g) agreements.<\/p>\n
Under this model, ICE would train and certify local deputies to serve and execute administrative immigration warrants on individuals already in custody at the county jail. <\/p>\n
According to ICE, the program is limited to jail operations and does not allow deputies to conduct immigration enforcement in the community or make arrests in public spaces.<\/p>\n
Instead, the program focuses on identifying individuals already in custody who may be in the country unlawfully and coordinating with federal authorities.<\/p>\n
The agreement stems from Senate Bill 8, signed into law in June 2025, which requires counties with populations over 100,000 to enter into partnerships with ICE by December 1, 2026. <\/p>\n
The law took effect on January 1, 2026, and includes a state grant program to help offset implementation costs.<\/p>\n
Ahead of Monday\u2019s meeting, County Commissioner David Stout released a statement to KFOX14\/CBS4 addressing the agreement:<\/p>\n
\u201cI thank Sheriff Ugarte for making himself and his staff available to present to the public how the Sheriff\u2019s Department is following state law requiring counties across our state entering in a 287(g) agreement with the federal government. From my perspective as a Commissioner, responsible for voting on the Sheriff\u2019s Department budget and safeguarding our community from state and federal overreach, this is one of several state mandates that undermine local priorities, weaken local control, and place significant financial burdens on taxpayers.Over the past five years, local taxpayers have been forced by the state to spend tens of millions of dollars on immigration enforcement related costs. The March 2024 Gate 36 incident alone cost more than $1 million to jail hundreds of individuals whose cases were ultimately dismissed. That figure does not include the added costs to our public defenders, prosecutors, and courts. Our border community values do not support indiscriminate immigration enforcement, and our local resources continue to be strained by mandates imposed from outside our community.Immigrant families and local communities deserve state and federal leaders who meet people where they are, leaders who understand the realities on the ground and work alongside communities rather than imposing one size fits all mandates that ignore local needs and values.Once again, I am thankful to Sheriff Ugarte for his transparency on this matter and to the community for continuing to stand up, speak out, and demand accountability from the County.\u201d<\/p>\n
Monday\u2019s presentation is expected to outline how the program would operate in El Paso County, including how deputies would be trained and what authority they would have under the agreement.<\/p>\n
The Commissioners Court is expected to hear the presentation and discuss next steps during the meeting.<\/p>\n
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