shastascout Last year, the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office attempted to enter into an agreement with Immigration and Customs Enforcement that would have given officers immigration enforcement authority. The process was paused last May, and it’s unclear where things stand now. Documents recently obtained by Shasta Scout show the sheriff’s office was seeking to enter into what’s known as a 287(g) agreement. The agreement is part of a program operated by ICE that gives state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform immigration duties under ICE’s direction and oversight. The 287(g) program, which has been around for three decades, has been gaining national attention as the Trump administration significantly expands contracts with local and state law enforcement agencies as part of its aggressive deportation agenda. More than 1,600 agreements between ICE and law enforcement agencies have been signed throughout the country. The California Values Act prohibits law enforcement agencies in the state from assisting with federal immigration enforcement. That means agencies are not permitted to enter into 287(g) agreements with ICE, said University of California Irvine law professor Annie Lai, who specializes in immigration law and civil rights. A map on ICE’s 287(g) program site does not document any California law enforcement agencies as having entered into such agreements with ICE. But email communication and documents obtained by Shasta Scout show that the Shasta Sheriff’s Office attempted to enter into a 287(g) agreement with ICE last May. Documents indicate the process was paused after an ICE official pointed out that entering such an agreement could violate state law. An ICE press contact directed questions about the agreement to the Shasta County Sheriff’s Office. Sheriff Mike Johnson did not respond to repeated requests for comment on the status of the pending agreement. Read more at the link in our bio. View all 55 comments