A new bill, Texas’s Senate Bill 8 (SB8), effective January 1, 2026, mandates that sheriffs operating county jails enter into 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to facilitate the identification and deportation of criminal illegal immigrants.
Previously voluntary, these partnerships now require compliance by December 2026, expanding from about 100 participating agencies statewide. The law aims to enhance public safety by ensuring secure jail transfers and avoiding risky street arrests. Major counties like Harris, Dallas, and Travis previously lacked agreements but must become compliant.
Speaking about the new legislation, Texas State Representative David Spiller (R-Jacksboro), made the new standard clear. “This is about public safety,” he said. Additionally, he described the bill as the “most aggressive” immigration enforcement measure from the Texas Legislature this session.
Adding more context, State Senator Charles Schwertner (R-Georgetown), said, “Our immigration laws will be enforced, and criminal illegal aliens causing great harm to our communities will be removed.” In other comments, Schwertner explained that Senate Bill 8 (SB8) gives sheriffs a choice among several enforcement options and provides funding for unreimbursed costs.
Reacting to the new law, Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons celebrated the decision. “Any ICE agent or officer will tell you they’d much rather have the cooperation of a state or local agency… not only is it safe for my officers and agents, it’s safe for the agency that’s turning them over, and it’s also safe for the criminal alien,” he noted.
Continuing his thoughts, Lyons stated, “You’re looking at five to six officers or agents being on that arrest team… And now, with the uptick of violence against ICE special agents and deportation officers, we’re looking to take another five to six just to do security on the ones making that one arrest.”
Wrapping up his comment, the Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons declared, “Luckily, we have such great partners in Texas… Harris County, Dallas County, who do turn these individuals over in a safe, humane way… But all too often across the country, we have to go into these communities where it’s not safe for anyone.”
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Adding more context, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick explained, “SB 8 will ensure that every sheriff in a county with a population of more than 100,000 enters into a 287(g) agreement with ICE to identify and remove criminal illegal aliens from our communities.”
State Senator Joan Huffman (R-Houston), who wrote the bill, added, “This legislation strengthens public safety by ensuring local law enforcement has the tools and resources needed to cooperate with federal immigration authorities.”
Similarly, Ken Paxton, the Texas AG, noted, “My office stands ready to enforce this critical law and hold any non-compliant sheriffs accountable to protect Texans from criminal illegal immigration.” However, despite this broad support, some left-wing activists decried the news.
Freaking out, Kate Mellor, immigration policy expert at the Texas Civil Rights Project, whined, “Mandating 287(g) agreements will strain local resources, erode community trust, and lead to racial profiling without making Texans safer.”
Watch Gov. Abbott unveil a billboard meant to keep illegal aliens out of the state here: