Overview

The Benton County Jail in Bentonville, Arkansas has become one of the most prolific 287(g) enforcement sites in the entire country. Between January and October 2025, more than 450 people were arrested by ICE at the jail through its 287(g) program — accounting for more than 4% of all 7,000 287(g)-attributed arrests nationwide. That works out to approximately 1.5 ICE arrests per day in a county of roughly 300,000 people.

The AP characterized Benton County as a “hot spot” for the Trump administration’s immigration crackdown. This single county jail generates a disproportionate share of the national 287(g) pipeline.

Key Details

• 287(g) model: Jail Enforcement Model — deputies question people booked into jail about immigration status
• ICE arrests: 450+ (Jan 1 - Oct 15, 2025)
• National share: 4% of all US 287(g) arrests
• Daily rate: ~1.5 arrests per day
• Process: Deputies flag suspected undocumented immigrants at booking -> held without bond -> transferred to ICE custody -> moved to Washington County Detention Center (Fayetteville) -> transferred to Louisiana detention centers for deportation
• Data source: UC Berkeley Deportation Data Project, analyzed by AP

The Enforcement Model

Benton County operates the Jail Enforcement Model, meaning anyone booked on any charge — including minor traffic violations — is screened for immigration status. This creates a powerful dragnet: aggressive traffic enforcement by local police feeds the 287(g) screening at the jail.

Combined with police traffic stops in the surrounding area (Springdale, Rogers, and other NW Arkansas cities), this creates what the AP called a system where “a quiet corner of Arkansas has become a hot spot for the U.S. immigration crackdown.”

Community Impact

• Residents report being afraid to drive regardless of legal status
• People leaving home only for work
• Groceries and food delivered rather than eating out
• Leisure activities avoided
• Bank accounts being closed; cash withdrawals replacing banking
• Businesses reporting significant sales drops

Sources

• Benton County jail has handed over hundreds of detainees — Arkansas Times (Dec 4, 2025)
• Benton County program leads to hundreds of ICE arrests — 5News
• AP Report: Benton County a ‘hot spot’ for ICE efforts — NWA Homepage
• How one Arkansas county helps ICE make hundreds of arrests — UALR Public Radio (Dec 5, 2025)
• 287(g) MOA — Benton County Sheriff (ICE.gov)