PRESTON, Idaho — Franklin County Sheriff Cuyler Stoker has signed an agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, making the rural southeast Idaho county the second in the state to join the federal 287(g) task force program, which authorizes local deputies to stop and question individuals about their immigration status.
Stoker signed the agreement on March 23, with support from the Franklin County Board of Commissioners. Franklin County, which borders Utah and has just over 14,000 residents, joins Owyhee County as the only two counties in Idaho participating in the task force model — the most expansive form of the 287(g) program.
What the 287(g) Task Force Agreement Allows
Under the task force model, Franklin County’s designated deputies will be trained to function as “force multipliers” for ICE. That means deputies can stop and question individuals they believe to be in the country illegally, and can process people for federal immigration violations if those individuals are also arrested on state charges. Deputies will also be authorized to transport illegal aliens from the local jail to ICE facilities.
Sheriff Stoker said his deputies are already asking about immigration status when questioning individuals in connection with suspected criminal activity, and the new agreement formalizes and expands that practice.
“If you’ve done something that’s forced one of the deputies to have to look at you, and there’s a criminal event that we believe has occurred, we have to identify you,” Stoker said. “If they’re not from the United States, we do ask them where they’re from, and we ask (for) whatever driver’s license or identification cards from whatever home country they’re from.”
Participation in 287(g) agreements has increased significantly under President Donald Trump, who has encouraged local law enforcement agencies to assist federal agents in immigration enforcement efforts. Across Idaho, 10 law enforcement agencies have now signed some form of agreement with ICE — most involving serving immigration warrants or holding ICE detainees in county jails. Idaho State Police have also signed on, though Gov. Brad Little has stated that state troopers are limited to transporting illegal aliens from local jails and state prisons to ICE facilities.
Program Background and Opposition
The 287(g) program was established in 1996 under the Immigration and Nationality Act. It was suspended in 2012 under President Barack Obama following a federal investigation that found deputies in some jurisdictions had engaged in unlawful stops and detentions. The program was revived and has expanded under the current administration.
The American Civil Liberties Union of Idaho has raised concerns about Franklin County’s participation. Ruby Mendez-Mota, the organization’s interim advocacy director, said local law enforcement should not ask about immigration status before an arrest unless they are formally deputized under 287(g) to enforce federal immigration law.
“If it’s a traffic stop and local law enforcement is asking your immigration status, that is concerning,” Mendez-Mota said, adding that ICE training may not be sufficient to ensure local departments fully understand federal civil liberties protections as they apply to illegal aliens in law enforcement encounters.
According to an ACLU study, at least 32 percent of the U.S. population now lives in a county where the local sheriff’s office has some form of a 287(g) agreement with ICE. Several states, including Florida and Texas, have passed laws requiring law enforcement agencies to enter into such agreements.
Idaho Legislature’s Mandatory 287(g) Push Stalls
Franklin County’s agreement comes as Idaho lawmakers concluded a contentious legislative session over the issue. Republican lawmakers made multiple attempts during the 2026 session to pass legislation requiring Idaho law enforcement agencies to enter into 287(g) agreements — efforts that reportedly came under pressure from the White House.
Two early versions of mandatory participation bills failed to advance due to strong opposition from the Idaho Sheriffs’ Association. A third attempt involved lawmakers removing the contents of an unrelated bill and inserting new 287(g) mandate language. That measure passed the Idaho House but the Senate declined to hear it before the session ended on April 2.
Idaho Sen. Kelly Anthon, R-Rupert, who sponsored one version of the mandate legislation, said at a late-March Senate committee hearing that formal 287(g) agreements are necessary to ensure consistent cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
“I always want to make sure that we’re cooperating (with ICE),” Anthon said. “And that’s not to say that our sheriffs aren’t cooperating, but I want to make sure we have the documentation.”
The Idaho Sheriffs’ Association’s opposition reflected broader resistance among local law enforcement leaders to state-mandated participation, even as individual sheriffs like Stoker have voluntarily chosen to join the program.
What Comes Next
Franklin County deputies designated under the 287(g) agreement are expected to undergo ICE training before formally acting as immigration enforcement agents in the field. It remains unclear how many deputies will be assigned to the program or when the first enforcement actions under the agreement will occur. Statewide, the debate over whether Idaho should mandate 287(g) participation across all law enforcement agencies is expected to resurface in future legislative sessions, following the failure of the mandate bill this year. For broader statewide coverage of Idaho immigration enforcement efforts, visit Idaho News. For context on how 287(g) programs are expanding across the Idaho News Network’s coverage area, visit IdahoNewsNetwork.com.