Amid a backdrop of state, county and city officials voicing opposition to a planned U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement detention facility in San Antonio, smaller law enforcement agencies across Bexar County are quietly expanding their role in federal immigration enforcement.
Three agencies — the China Grove Police Department, the St. Hedwig Marshal’s Office and the Hollywood Park Police Department — are the most recent municipal agencies to enter agreements with ICE under the 287(g) program.
They join the Texas Department of Public Safety, the Precinct 3 Bexar County constable’s office and the Balcones Heights Police Department, which entered into the same agreements in January.
The program, established through the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1996, allows ICE to train and authorize state and local law enforcement officers to assist with certain immigration enforcement functions.
Participation is voluntary, and the level of authority granted to local agencies depends on the type of agreement they enter into.
While the agreements have existed for decades, they gained renewed attention last year when President Donald Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to expand the use of 287(g) partnerships “to the maximum extent permitted by law.” The order did not require state or local agencies to participate but signaled a broader federal push to increase cooperation with local law enforcement.
An ICE brochure outlining the program also shows agencies may receive federal financial support for their participation, including funding for equipment, reimbursement for officer salaries and overtime, and grants of up to $100,000 for vehicles.
The agencies in Bexar County are joining under what is known as the “task force model” — the most expansive version of the program — which allows officers to enforce certain immigration laws during everyday policing activities, such as traffic stops or other routine encounters.
Agreements formalize cooperation
Local law enforcement leaders who spoke with the San Antonio Report said the agreements are not expected to significantly change day-to-day policing, but instead formalize existing cooperation with federal authorities.
In Hollywood Park, a roughly 1.5-square-mile municipality about 15 miles north of downtown San Antonio, Police Chief Shad Prichard described the agreement as a way to strengthen coordination with federal agencies while maintaining the department’s current approach.
“This task force model only strengthens this relationship by offering specialized training and resources that will be used to enhance public safety in our jurisdiction,” Prichard said.
He emphasized the department does not plan to conduct targeted immigration enforcement operations.
“This agreement does not change the way we go about our normal duties,” he said. “We will only deal with situations as they develop in the course of our normal interactions. And to be clear, this agency has no plans to go door to door or conduct any type of raid or business checks looking for undocumented immigrants.”
Prichard said six officers from the department have been nominated for or completed the required training and that no officers will be assigned full-time to immigration enforcement.
In China Grove, which spans about 4.3 square miles roughly 12 miles east of downtown, Police Chief Ralph Sramek framed participation as part of standard law enforcement responsibilities.
“All Texas peace officers take an oath of office to uphold and enforce all laws of the state of Texas and the United States,” Sramek said. “China Grove Police Department officers abide by that oath.”
Sramek added the agreements allow officers to become “more proficient” in areas of immigration enforcement already covered under Texas law.
“Texas law covers certain aspects of immigration enforcement,” he said. “China Grove officers welcome this training along with all other mandated training for our continuing education.”
Officials with the city of St. Hedwig — a rural community on the eastern edge of Bexar County spanning about 30.1 square miles — including the marshal’s office, city manager, mayor and City Council, did not respond to requests for comment by the time of publication.
Training changes and financial support
Changes to federal guidelines in 2025 reduced the training required for officers participating in the task force model, shifting from a four-week, in-person program to a roughly 40-hour course that can be completed online.
After completing the training, officers can be authorized to carry out certain immigration enforcement duties under ICE supervision. The shorter training requirement comes as federal officials move to expand the program nationwide, lowering the time commitment for departments that choose to participate.
Precinct 3 Constable Mark Vojvodich previously pointed to available funding as one factor that agencies consider when entering into the agreements, alongside staffing and resource considerations.
“The incentives are pretty much per officer. And then as long as they have one arrest, in conjunction with their regular duties, the financial incentives can be up to $300,000 for any precinct that’s involved,” he said when his agency signed up.
Vojvodich said other agencies across Texas have reported receiving significant reimbursements after participating in the program.
“I’ve gotten calls from a couple of them, where they train their officers and have very minimal participation,” he said. “Then they had a case where they had a referral, and the federal government wrote them a check for nearly $300,000.”
But not all agencies are entering the program under the same circumstances. A new state law requires most county sheriffs and jail operators to enter into 287(g) agreements by Dec. 1, 2026.
The Bexar County Sheriff’s Office has done so under a more limited, jail-based model that allows deputies to serve federal immigration warrants on individuals already in custody.
A decentralized system taking shape
The growth of 287(g) agreements comes as local officials continue to push back against a separate but related federal effort: the planned expansion of immigration detention capacity in San Antonio.
ICE has confirmed it purchased land and a facility on the East Side of the city as part of a nationwide push to increase detention space. Federal planning documents indicate the San Antonio facility could be operational by November 2026.
The proposal has drawn strong opposition from local officials at both the city and county levels. Bexar County commissioners voted 3–1 to formally oppose the project, while San Antonio City Council has directed staff to explore potential policy responses, including zoning changes and a possible moratorium on new private detention facilities.
Precinct 4 Commissioner Tommy Calvert, whose district includes the East Side site, has been among the most vocal critics of the detention facility, publicly condemning the expansion and exploring legal options in Washington, D.C.
At the same time, smaller law enforcement agencies operating within his precinct — including departments in China Grove and St. Hedwig — have entered 287(g) agreements in recent months.
Calvert did not respond to a request for comment on the expansion of the program among agencies in his district.
Unlike the detention facility, participation in the 287(g) program occurs at the agency level. Local departments can enter agreements directly with ICE without approval from city councils or Commissioners Court, allowing immigration enforcement authority to expand incrementally across jurisdictions.
Hollywood Park police and the Precinct 3 constables office have both previously confirmed they had not consulted with local or county leadership prior to joining the program.
That structure has created a patchwork system across Bexar County, where more than 30 law enforcement agencies operate with varying levels of involvement in federal immigration enforcement.
