Arkansas is one of the most aggressively cooperative states in the country for ICE enforcement. In April 2025, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed Act 654 (the “Defense Against Criminal Illegals Act”), which mandates all county sheriffs apply for 287(g) partnerships with ICE – making Arkansas one of the first states to require universal local participation in federal immigration enforcement. By early 2026, 40 state and local agencies have signed cooperation agreements, ICE has arrested 2,600+ people in the state since Trump’s inauguration (a 176% increase over 2024 daily rates), and the Arkansas National Guard has been deployed to assist ICE operations.

The 287(g) Explosion

Act 654 (signed April 2025)

• Mandates all county sheriffs with detention centers apply for ICE’s Warrant Service Officer (WSO) program
• Sheriffs may alternatively choose the Jail Enforcement Model (JEM)
• Expands the state’s sanctuary city ban to include counties and unincorporated areas
• Enhances criminal penalties for unauthorized immigrants convicted of certain felonies
• Requires the Arkansas Division of Correction to also participate

Scale of Participation

• 40 state and local agencies have signed cooperation agreements with ICE (as of early 2026)
• 38 active 287(g) MOAs in the state
• 16 of 38 use the Task Force Model (the most aggressive street-level enforcement model)
• 7 of 38 use the Jail Enforcement Model
• 8 municipalities have 287(g) agreements
• 5 state agencies participate

Confirmed 287(g) Counties/Agencies (with agreement types where known)

• Benton County Sheriff — Jail Enforcement + others (national model for volume)
• Washington County Sheriff — confirmed MOA
• Sebastian County Sheriff — confirmed (Fort Smith)
• Crawford County Sheriff — confirmed
• Franklin County Sheriff — signed Feb 27, 2026 (Task Force + WSO — most recent)
• Johnson County Sheriff — confirmed
• Madison County Sheriff — confirmed
• Pope County Sheriff — confirmed
• Craighead County Sheriff — pre-existing, predates Act 654
• Rogers Police Department — confirmed MOA
• Springdale Police Department — confirmed MOA (though police chief resists informal cooperation)
• Osceola Police Department — Task Force Model (signed Aug 28, 2025)
• Arkansas State Police — 287(g) Task Force Model (signed summer 2025, 48 held on detainers by Jan 2026)
• Arkansas Department of Corrections — Jail Enforcement Model (signed Dec 2, 2025)
• Arkansas National Guard — Task Force Model (voluntary, Sept 2025)

State-Level Enforcement Infrastructure

Arkansas State Police 287(g)

• Signed Task Force Model agreement summer 2025
• Troopers trained as de facto ICE agents
• 48 people held on immigration detainers through Jan 2026
• Statewide jurisdiction gives enormous reach

National Guard Deployment (announced Sept 9, 2025)

• 40 personnel: 27 Air National Guard Airmen + 13 Army National Guard Soldiers
• Locations: Little Rock (18), Fort Smith (10), Fayetteville (10), Camp Robinson (2)
• Tasks: Detainee transport, processing detained individuals, clerical tasks
• Program: Title 32 (federally funded, state-controlled)
• Guard members are unarmed
• DHS request May 9, 2025 / DoD approval July 25, 2025

Key Arrest Statistics

• 2,600+ people arrested in Arkansas since Jan 20, 2025 (through mid-Oct 2025)
• 176% increase in daily arrest rate vs. 2024
• 450+ arrests at Benton County Jail alone (Jan-Oct 2025) — 4% of all 287(g) arrests nationwide
• 1.5 arrests per day at Benton County (population ~300,000)

Key Facilities

The Pipeline: Arrest to Deportation

The transfer pipeline runs: Benton County Jail (arrest/287g screening) -> Washington County Detention Center in Fayetteville (short-term ICE hold) -> detention centers in Louisiana (long-term/deportation). This NW Arkansas corridor is a nationally significant enforcement pipeline.

Community Response

• Springdale (pop. 89,000, 25%+ foreign-born, 42% Hispanic) is a rare resistance pocket — Police Chief Derek Wright refused formal ICE cooperation, Mayor Doug Sprouse issued protective statements
• Student walkouts at Little Rock Central High, Parkview, eStem, North Little Rock High (Feb 2026) — students marched to State Capitol
• 25,000+ Arkansans participated in No Kings protests (March 2026)
• AIRE (Alliance for Immigrant Respect and Education) runs ICE sighting hotline and grocery delivery in NW Arkansas
• Arkansas GRITA (Grassroots Initiative for Transparency and Accountability) launched Jan 2026 as community-led journalism project tracking 287(g) agreements
• Businesses reporting significant sales drops, bank accounts being closed out of fear

Sources

• Benton County jail has handed over hundreds of detainees to ICE — Arkansas Times (Dec 4, 2025)
• A Diverse Boomtown Says ‘Thanks, But No Thanks’ to ICE — Marshall Project (Jan 28, 2026)
• Concerns raised over ICE agreement models — NWA Democrat-Gazette (Mar 22, 2026)
• 287(g) and how it works in Arkansas — Arkansas GRITA
• Arkansas state troopers can double as ICE agents — Arkansas Advocate (Aug 11, 2025)
• Sanders announces National Guard to assist ICE — Governor’s office (Sept 9, 2025)
• Arkansas lawmakers discuss state police participation — Arkansas Advocate (Jan 21, 2026)
• Arkansans organize grassroots initiatives — Arkansas Advocate (Feb 23, 2026)
• Springdale business impact — NWA Democrat-Gazette (Jan 2, 2026)