MSHP one of two Missouri law enforcement agencies in ICE program

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

The Missouri State Highway Patrol has joined a growing number of law enforcement agencies authorized to carry out limited immigration enforcement under federal supervision.

Records obtained by ABC 17 News give further details into what the agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement -- which was signed by MSHP in March -- entails. 

A 1996 federal law allows U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to give state and local law enforcement limited authority to carry out immigration enforcement under ICE supervision, under an additional provision known as Section 287(g).  

On Jan. 20, 2025, President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing ICE to expand the 287(g) program to the fullest extent allowed by law. The order encourages ICE to partner with qualified state and local law enforcement agencies to enforce immigration laws.

In response, Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe signed executive orders on his first day in office aimed at positioning Missouri to support federal immigration enforcement efforts. 

ICE operates three models that law enforcement agencies can sign up to take part in: the Jail Enforcement Model, Task Force Model and Warrant Service Officer Program, according to information from its website. 

• The Jail Enforcement Model is designed to identify and process removable aliens, with criminal or pending criminal charges, who are arrested by state or local law enforcement agencies.
• The Task Force Model serves as a force multiplier for law enforcement agencies to enforce limited immigration authority with ICE oversight during their routine police duties.
• The Warrant Service Officer program allows ICE to train, certify and authorize state and local law enforcement officers to serve and execute administrative warrants on aliens in their agency’s jail.

A spokesman for the Missouri Sheriffs’ Association told ABC 17 News in an email that it has made all information about these programs available to all sheriff’s offices, and it is up to each of them whether they participate.

Missouri is one of 38 states that have a law enforcement agency signed up for the program. However, of the 456 agreements signed across the country, the Show Me State accounts for just three of them. 

The Boone County Sheriff’s Office has not signed any agreements with ICE, and a spokesman told ABC 17 News that there are no discussions about changing that status. 

Currently, Missouri only has two agencies that have signed agreements with ICE, the MSHP and the Christian County Sheriff’s Office. The Christian County Sheriff’s Office has signed two agreements with ICE, one for a Jail Enforcement Model and another for a Warrant Service Officer. The MSHP signed a Task Force Model agreement. 

Under the MSHP’s agreement, the chief officer of the MSHP is responsible for nominating candidates for a mandatory training program provided by ICE. Only trained personnel who are nominated and certified have authority pursuant to the agreement to conduct immigration officer functions

According to Capt. Scott White, of the Missouri State Highway Patrol, 45 people will participate in the training program, with troopers from each of the state's nine troops already nominated.

Five troopers from each of the nine troops will receive training along with five people from the Division of Drug and Crime Control, two from the Gaming Division and one from General Headquarters. 

MSHP will cover personnel expenses, while ICE will handle the installation and maintenance costs of the IT infrastructure. According to the agreement, eligible MSHP officers will be assigned to various units, teams or task forces designated by ICE. 

MSHP officers are not authorized to perform immigration officer duties unless they are under the direct supervision or direction of ICE. 

Once certified MSHP officers are -- according to the agreement -- authorized to perform the following: 

• Can question anyone they believe is not a U.S. citizen.
  
• Can arrest someone without a warrant if they’re trying to enter the U.S. illegally.
  
• If there’s reason to believe someone should be arrested, a warrant can be requested — but that person must first be brought to an immigration officer to review their legal status.
  
• Can arrest without a warrant if someone has committed an immigration-related crime and may flee before a warrant can be issued.
  
• Can deliver and carry out arrest warrants for immigration-related offenses.
  
• Can collect fingerprints, take photos, interview people, and gather evidence needed for immigration cases.
  
• Can prepare official immigration charges.
  
• Can issue immigration detainers (requests to hold someone for ICE).
  
• Can take custody of people arrested for immigration violations, even if another agency made the arrest.
  
• Can hold and transport people arrested for immigration reasons to ICE-approved detention centers.

Under the agreement, participating law enforcement agencies are exempt from Sunshine Request, which Dave Roland, Director of Litigation, Freedom Center of Missouri, believes is a problem for accountability. 

“ It is true that federal entities are not subject to Missouri's Sunshine Laws... but state or local entities should not be able to deny citizens access to public records held by the state and local agencies simply because a federal agency says they shouldn't be shared,” Roland wrote ABC 17 News in an email. 

As of April 14, there are 86 Jail Enforcement Model agreements in 25 states, 180 Warrant Service Officer agreements in 27 states and 190 Task Force Model agreements in 23 states.