ICE Is Paying Salaries and More for This Town’s Entire Police Force | WIREDSkip to main contentMenuSECURITYPOLITICSTHE BIG STORYBUSINESSSCIENCECULTUREREVIEWSMenuAccountAccountNewslettersSecurityPoliticsThe Big StoryBusinessScienceCultureReviewsChevronMoreExpandThe Big InterviewMagazineEventsWIRED InsiderWIRED ConsultingNewslettersPodcastsVideoLivestreamsMerchSearchSearchSammy SussmanSecurityMar 24, 2026 5:00 AMICE Is Paying Salaries and More for This Town’s Entire Police ForceUnder a Homeland Security program, police departments around the US are signing up to assist in immigration enforcement. The cops of Carroll, New Hampshire, are going all in—and they’re likely not alone.Photograph: Michael M. Santiago; Getty ImagesCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyCommentLoaderSave StorySave this storyOn March 2, the town of Carroll, New Hampshire, population 820, received a $122,515 wire transfer from the Department of Homeland Security, making it among the first wave of local governments reaping the financial benefits of the Trump administration’s efforts to build out a network of local officers assisting in federal immigration enforcement.WIRED has made this article free for all to read because it is primarily based on reporting from documents obtained via public records laws. Please consider subscribing to support our journalism.Four months before the payment, the town had signed up as part of DHS’s “Task Force Model,” which is part of the department’s so-called 287(g) program. By signing up, Caroll’s police department essentially pledged that its officers would aid in federal immigration enforcement at the direction of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. All four of the town’s full-time police officers—a chief, his lieutenant, and two patrol officers—signed up as task force officers. In return, DHS pledged to cover the costs incurred by their services, including salaries.Records suggest that this agreement is not unique, and while Carroll may be one of the first local police departments to receive significant payments under such an agreement, it will not be the last. As of March 23, 920 law enforcement agencies have signed up for this program, including 500 town, village, and city police departments, according to data posted by ICE and analyzed by WIRED. (In Florida, four port and airport authority police departments and 16 university police departments signed these agreements.)Emails from ICE to the police chief in Carroll, obtained through a public records request, offer some window into the financial nature of the administration’s recruitment effort for this program. In September, around the time that the department started submitting paperwork to join the 287(g) program, ICE offered up to $7,500 for equipment for each officer that completed task force training, along with $100,000 for a new vehicle purchase for every department that submitted a new memorandum of agreement.“Thank you for your steadfast commitment to our shared mission to Defend the Homeland,” the agency wrote in its recruitment message. “Together, we are safeguarding the American people, working to strengthen the security and resilience of our nation, and upholding the rule of law.” In October, ICE increased the financial incentives, pledging to cover officers’ annual salaries, up to a quarter of those salaries in overtime costs and quarterly financial awards between $500 and $1,000 based on each officer’s percentage rate of “successful location of aliens provided by ICE.”Two months later, Carroll assisted in taking seven individuals into ICE custody “after a criminal investigation from multiple DUI crashes,” according to Ian MacMillan, the department’s lieutenant.ICE also appears to be targeting lower-level officers in its efforts to form partnerships with local law enforcement, with a fact sheet and brochure about the program appearing on the agency’s website under the title “How Can I Convince My Chief or Sheriff to Participate in 287(g)?” (Last year, law enforcement organizations like the National Sheriffs’ Association criticized ICE for recruiting officers from among the ranks of their sheriffs deputies.)On the same web page, ICE has released links to specific memoranda of agreement reached with local law enforcement agencies, including Carroll. Records obtained by WIRED, however, reveal that as part of the payment registry process, ICE and Carroll agreed to a separate, nonpublic “service agreement” that included language specifically about liability.DHS did not provide comment ahead of publication.The public agreement between Carroll and ICE stated that if Carroll officers are named in a lawsuit related to federal immigration enforcement, they “may” request representation from the Department of Justice. The private agreement contains an additional pledge: If Carroll is named as part of a lawsuit by an immigrant challenging their immigration status or detention, ICE “will request that DOJ be responsible for the defense of any suit.”The two agreements also contain different language about confidentiality and access to records. The public agreement between Carroll and ICE states that Carroll “must coordinate” with ICE’s public affairs office before releasing information to the media about its work under the agreement. The agreement further states that “nothing herein limits” Carroll’s ability to comply with state public records laws. (WIRED obtained records by filing a request with Carroll under the New Hampshire Right-to-Know Law.)The private service agreement, however, states that information “obtained because” of the agreement is “under the control of ICE” and is subject to disclosure only under federal records requests, regulations, and executive or court orders. Such requests are often fulfilled by federal agencies under much longer timelines compared with state requests, functionally limiting the public’s prompt access to records. DHS’s records policies were also recently called into question after top CBP privacy officers said they were ousted after they objected to being asked to mislabel records to block their public release.If Carroll receives a request under the state law, the agreement says that it “shall promptly notify the ICE FOIA Officer and inform the requester to submit a FOIA request directly to the ICE FOIA Office.” Should Carroll decide to release the private agreement or any information relating to it, the private agreement says that Carroll “agrees to coordinate with the ICE FOIA Officer prior to such release.”The private agreement also states that Carroll must notify ICE’s Office of Congressional Relations if it receives any requests for information from members of Congress. And though Carroll can notify local media about newsworthy events involving its work for ICE, it must clear press releases and other statements with ICE’s public affairs office before releasing them to the public.Records suggest that the language in this private agreement is already having an effect in delaying access to records. WIRED requested records under state law from eight municipalities in New Hampshire that have reached task force agreements with ICE. Five days after a request was filed with Auburn, a lieutenant in the town’s police department wrote in response that the department would need to work in “coordination with the Department of Homeland Security” before making the town’s records available for release.Updated at 9:21 am ET, March 24, 2026: Updated with newly released ICE data about its Task Force Model program and clarified the headline to reflect that it's currently unclear whether the payments to Carroll are ongoing.Updated at 4:20 pm ET, March 24, 2026: Updated headline to reflect details provided by the Carroll police department.CommentsBack to topTriangleYou Might Also LikeIn your inbox: Upgrade your life with WIRED-tested gearNvidia plans to launch an open-source AI agent platformBig Story: He built the Epstein database—it consumed his lifeShould you leave your phone charging overnight?Watch: How right wing influencers infiltrated the governmentSammy Sussman is a freelance reporter based in New York City. He spent the past three years writing about police misconduct around New York State, and his recent reporting has also focused on allegations of misconduct and abuse in the performing arts. ... 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Under a Homeland Security program, police departments across the United States are increasingly collaborating with federal immigration enforcement, and the police department of Carroll, New Hampshire, is at the forefront of this arrangement. The town of Carroll, with a population of just 820, received a $122,515 wire transfer from the Department of Homeland Security in March 2026, marking one of the early instances of local governments benefiting financially from supporting ICE operations. This initiative, known as the “Task Force Model” within the broader 287(g) program, effectively tasked Carroll’s four full-time police officers—including the chief, lieutenant, and two patrol officers—with assisting ICE in immigration enforcement at the direction of ICE. Sammy Sussman’s reporting, based primarily on publicly obtained records, unveiled the depth and scope of this engagement.

The financial incentives driving this partnership were substantial. Initially, ICE offered up to $7,500 for each officer to receive task force training equipment and pledged a $100,000 vehicle purchase for the department if they initiated a new memorandum of agreement. Later, ICE substantially increased its support, committing to cover officers’ salaries, including overtime costs, and providing quarterly financial awards – ranging from $500 to $1,000 – contingent on the department’s “successful location of aliens” as directed by ICE. This demonstrated a concerted effort by the administration to encourage local law enforcement participation. During one operation, officers assisted in taking seven individuals into ICE custody following DUI investigations, highlighting the pragmatic application of these heightened enforcement powers.

The program’s reach extends beyond Carroll, with 920 law enforcement agencies having signed up, including approximately 500 town, village, and city police departments. Notable examples include agreements with port and airport authorities in Florida, as well as university police departments, further illustrating the nationwide scope of this initiative. Emails between ICE and Carroll’s police chief provide a clear insight into the financial framework, detailing the agency’s recruitment messages and offering incentives.

However, the agreement between Carroll and ICE was not simply a straightforward exchange of services for funding. A separate, nonpublic “service agreement” was established, which included specific provisions regarding liability. This private agreement, obtained through WIRED’s public records requests, contained critical clauses designed to protect ICE. If Carroll officers were named in a lawsuit related to enforcement activities, the agreement stipulated that the Department of Justice "may" provide representation. Crucially, if Carroll was named in a lawsuit by an immigrant challenging their detention, ICE pledged to insist upon DOJ defense. Moreover, the agreements differed significantly regarding confidentiality and record access. The public agreement mandated coordination with ICE’s public affairs office before releasing information, while the private agreement granted ICE control over the information itself and restricted access to state records requests, which often move more swiftly than federal ones.

This difference in agreement language has demonstrably impacted the access to information. When WIRED requested records from eight New Hampshire municipalities with similar task force agreements, Auburn’s lieutenant responded, stating that the department would require coordination with DHS before releasing records. The private agreement’s stipulations regarding sharing and disclosure practices appear to be creating delays and complexities in accessing public records related to ICE’s operations, presenting a challenge to transparency.

The program’s recruitment strategy appears to be targeting lower-level officers within law enforcement agencies, with ICE providing a fact sheet and brochure titled “How Can I Convince My Chief or Sheriff to Participate in 287(g)?” This demonstrates a targeted approach to expanding the network of local law enforcement supporting federal immigration enforcement.

The legal ramifications of these agreements are also significant. The public agreement between Carroll and ICE includes a provision stating that Carroll officers "may" request DOJ representation in lawsuits. The private agreement goes further, asserting that ICE “will request that DOJ be responsible for the defense of any suit,” raising complex legal questions regarding jurisdiction and responsibility. These details highlight the substantial legal exposure associated with participating in these agreements. Ultimately, the arrangements were accompanied by a complex interplay of public and private agreements, revealing a nuanced picture of a growing collaboration between federal agencies and local law enforcement in the pursuit of immigration enforcement.