Another law enforcement agency joins ICE
Posted/updated on: April 3, 2026 at 9:34 pm
EAST TEXAS — The Gregg County Sheriff’s Office received approval on Tuesday to formally join an ICE task force model, marking a significant advancement one year after its initial partnership with federal immigration authorities. According to our news partner KETK, the sheriff’s office began collaborating with immigration authorities last year by adopting the jail enforcement model in March 2025.
This model trained local officers to identify, process, and initiate removal proceedings against undocumented immigrants who were already in the agency’s jail or detention facility with pending or active criminal charges. All enforcement activities occur within the jail setting.
The newly approved Task Force Model grants officers the authority to exercise limited immigration enforcement while carrying out their routine law enforcement duties. This includes identifying individuals’ immigration status during traffic stops or DUI checkpoints and sharing that information with ICE.
Officers are also permitted to participate directly in ICE-led task forces.
With this approval, the Gregg County Sheriff’s Office has become the fourteenth agency in East Texas to join ICE’s Task Force Model. Check here for the full list.
