FILE - Close up detail of a law enforcement agent is seen during a "National Shutdown" protest against US Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Los Angeles on Jan. 30, 2026. (Photo by Patrick T. Fallon / AFP via Getty Images)
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement proposed offering local police officers who make immigration arrests insurance.
Insurance for local/state police
Dig deeper:
The agency is proposing to subsidize liability insurance for state and local officers who are trained and deputized to enforce federal immigration laws, according to a planning document published Friday.
Under the plan, officers would purchase insurance covering up to $500,000 in personal liability, which typically funds legal fees, settlements and judgments. Officers would be reimbursed up to $250 annually — roughly what the insurance is expected to cost.
ICE outlined the plan in a document informing industry officials that it is considering hiring a contractor to help provide outreach, training and communications support for its so-called 287(g) partnerships with local departments, which are named for a section of a 1996 immigration law. The contractor would hire the insurance vendor and process the reimbursements, among other tasks.
No liability for misconduct
The other side:
"The concern here is that ICE is going above and beyond to guarantee law enforcement does not have even the slightest risk of liability for violating Americans’ rights while helping ICE arrest people," David Bier, director of immigration studies at the Cato Institute, told The Associated Press. Bier has also called on Congress to make it easier to sue ICE agents for wrongdoing.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from The Associated Press.