The Department of Homeland Security dramatically expanded its 287(g) program, which deputizes local and state law enforcement to enforce immigration law during routine police work, growing from 142 agreements in January 2025 to over 2,315 by spring 2026 and passing 1,000 new agreements since January 26, 2026 by August. Officials say the partnerships act as a force multiplier for immigration arrests while allowing federal agents to avoid public scrutiny, making enforcement harder for protesters and observers to detect.