New Hampshire State Police are now authorized to carry out immigration checks during the department’s routine operations, becoming the largest participating law enforcement agency among nine others across the state.

The department’s application with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to join the 287(g) program, which deputizes local and state police to exercise limited immigration authority with ICE oversight and guidance, was approved last week. It had been pending since February, when Gov. Kelly Ayotte urged agencies statewide to cooperate with federal immigration authorities. 

“Criminals who are in our country illegally and pose a danger should be apprehended and removed. I support and encourage New Hampshire law enforcement agencies to cooperate with ICE to enforce our laws and keep our communities safe,” her statement read.

As of  April 29, ICE has signed 506 agreements for 287(g) programs with law enforcement agencies in 38 states. The agency’s agreement with New Hampshire State Police was signed on April 25; Rockingham County joined the task force program the previous day.

Several states, including Georgia and Florida, have passed state legislation mandating that law enforcement agencies seek out ICE partnerships under the 287(g) program.

Robert Quinn, commissioner of the Department of Safety, had said the task force model “would grant both legal authority and protection to our State Troopers when they encounter individuals in the United States illegally” and would enable officers to “act swiftly to remove dangerous criminals.”

The 287(g) program, established as part of the Immigration and Nationality Act, proposes three models for law enforcement participation: a jail enforcement model, a warrant service officer program and a task force model, which New Hampshire State Police has joined.

Law enforcement agencies that enroll in these agreements nominate officers — each of whom must be a U.S. citizen and have at least two years of law enforcement experience — to complete a 40-hour online training that covers the scope of their authority, immigration law, civil rights law, cross-cultural issues and more.

Once an application is signed, agencies participating in the national task force are authorized to make arrests for immigration violations uncovered during traffic stops and other routine encounters. Participating agencies can then transport undocumented individuals to ICE-approved detention centers.

 

Rebeca Pereira can be reached at rpereira@cmonitor.com