To find out whether a Pennsylvania police department or sheriff works with ICE through 287(g), check the agency’s exact name in ICE’s participating-agencies records and read its signed agreement. Search the municipality as well as the county: neighboring departments may have different arrangements.
Last verified: October 18, 2026. This is a guide to checking records, not a complete live directory or a prediction of anyone’s immigration risk.
Start with these two sources
- Open ICE’s 287(g) program page and look for its participating-agencies list and memoranda of agreement. Note the publication date.
- Use the Deportation Data Project’s agreement explorer as a second way to locate records and agreement documents. Its October 16 release documents active and historical partnerships.
- Filter for Pennsylvania, then search the full police, sheriff, regional department, or correctional agency name. A county name alone can miss municipal agencies.
- Open the underlying agreement. Record the agency, model, date, jurisdiction, and whether the record is active or historical. Recheck with the agency if records conflict.
Why the agreement model matters
| Model | What to examine | |---|---| | Task Force Model | Authority delegated to trained officers during routine policing under ICE oversight | | Jail Enforcement Model | Immigration screening and processing connected with custody in a participating facility | | Warrant Service Officer | Service of ICE administrative warrants on people already in agency custody |
These are different arrangements. Do not turn a jail partnership into a claim that every municipal officer has task-force authority. See 287(g) explained.
A documented York County example
York County Regional Police Department announced on March 27, 2026 that its board had approved entry into a 287(g) agreement on March 18. A board authorization announcement is a useful starting point; verify the executed agreement and current operational status separately.
Do not confuse this regional department with every other department in York County, or with a similarly named agency in another state.
What the records cannot tell you
An agreement is not an arrest count. The Deportation Data Project cautions that its dataset describes formal agreements, does not measure resulting arrests, and does not capture informal cooperation. Absence from the list therefore does not establish that ICE cannot operate in that community.
Similarly, a map boundary does not prove that a particular stop or detention was lawful. Questions about an individual encounter require qualified legal advice, not a county-level label.
A five-minute verification worksheet
Save these details for your own records:
- Exact agency name and municipality.
- Source publication date and date you checked it.
- Agreement model and link to the executed document.
- Active, historical, or not confirmed status.
- Any discrepancy that needs clarification.
Avoid posting another person’s immigration documents, location, or case number in public comments while asking for help.
Where families can get help
The Pennsylvania Immigration Resource Center provides immigration legal services and resources; availability depends on its programs and capacity. Verify a lawyer or accredited representative before sharing documents or paying fees. Use our legal-help verification checklist and family emergency financial checklist.
Does no 287(g) agreement mean a county is safe from immigration enforcement?
No. The list describes a particular formal delegation program, not all federal enforcement or every form of local cooperation.
Can one agency appear more than once?
Yes. Different agreement models or historical agreements can create multiple records. Check the documents before counting agencies.
General educational information, not individualized legal advice. Sources above were reviewed for this guide; participation and policies can change.