Today, Rep. Ben Cline (VA-06) introduced the 287(g) Cooperation Act of 2026, legislation to strengthen federal-local immigration enforcement partnerships by requiring state and local law enforcement agencies to enter into a 287(g) memorandum of agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a condition of receiving Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants.
Require state and local law enforcement agencies to enter into a 287(g) memorandum of agreement with ICE as a condition of receiving COPS grants.
Occurrences
introduced the 287(g) Cooperation Act of 2026, legislation to strengthen federal-local immigration enforcement partnerships by requiring state and local law enforcement agencies to enter into a 287(g) memorandum of agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as a condition of receiving Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS) grants.
Evidence
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The law increases funding for the Office of Community Oriented Policing for initiatives tied to immigration enforcement and removal efforts, and makes eligibility contingent on compliance with 8 U.S.C. 1373.
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The same law also directs DHS resources toward carrying out immigration enforcement activities under sections 103(a) and 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act and toward expanding 287(g) agreements.
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Mr. Cline ... introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary ... Any State or political subdivision of a State ... has not entered into a written memorandum of agreement with the Secretary of Homeland Security under this subsection is ineligible to apply for or receive any grant under the `Community Oriented Policing Services' program
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Edward byrne memorial justice assistance grant program and office of community oriented policing.-- ... Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive funds made available under this subsection, a State or local government shall be in full compliance ... with section 642 of the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996 (8 U.S.C. 1373).
Assessments
The closest enacted federal action did not impose the specific promised rule that state and local agencies must sign a 287(g) memorandum of agreement with ICE to receive COPS grants. Instead, the enacted law conditioned COPS eligibility on compliance with 8 U.S.C. 1373 and separately funded or encouraged expanded 287(g) activity. That is materially related to the promise, but it falls short of the exact grant condition Ben Cline called for, and there is no evidence here that he secured the specific requirement. This supports partial rather than full delivery.