County Fight
Contested
Niagara County NY — Sheriff signs 287(g), then pulls back on ICE partnership
Niagara, NY
Current status: Sheriff Filicetti signed 287(g) May 2025 (both warrant service + task force models), earning $148/person/day. By January 2026, pulled back — updated policy to require criminal charges or judicial warrants before holding detainees for ICE.
Niagara County is notable as a case where a sheriff signed 287(g) agreements, then scaled back cooperation after community pressure and legal concerns.
Timeline
- May 2025: Sheriff Michael Filicetti signs 287(g) agreement with ICE
- Both warrant service officer and task force models in place
- County paid $148 per person per day
- Average 5-10 women held as immigration detainees per day
- January 20, 2026: Investigative Post reports sheriff is pulling back
- Sheriff updates policy: detainees only held for ICE if there’s a criminal charge or judicial warrant
Significance
One of the few New York examples of a sheriff voluntarily restricting 287(g) implementation after signing. Suggests community pressure and legal liability concerns can move even cooperative sheriffs.
Sources
This research is published at The RAMM — investigative reporting on the detention pipeline.