In a surprising turn of events, a county jail in Arkansas has emerged as a significant hub for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, marking one of the busiest sites in the nation for such activities. This year alone, the Benton County Jail has seen over 450 people detained from January 1 to October 15, according to data from the University of California Berkeley Deportation Data Project, analyzed by the Associated Press. This equates to an average of 1.5 arrests daily in a county with a population just exceeding 300,000.

This remarkable uptick in detentions is indicative of the growing number of cooperation agreements being formed between local law enforcement agencies and federal immigration authorities throughout the United States. In Arkansas, particularly, recent legislative changes have significantly impacted the landscape of immigration enforcement.

In August, the “Defense Against Criminal Illegals Act” came into effect, a law designed to impose harsher penalties on illegal immigrants found guilty of committing “serious felonies involving violence.” This legislation was signed into law by Arkansas’ Republican Governor, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, as part of a broader strategy to tighten immigration enforcement at the state level.

The law not only increases penalties but also facilitates closer collaboration between local sheriffs and ICE. It allows local law enforcement agencies to participate in ICE’s federal 287(g) program, granting them the authority to execute immigration warrants on individuals already in custody for other crimes. This move is part of a concerted effort to enhance the state’s ability to manage immigration-related offenses and align more closely with federal immigration policies.

Arkansas Republican Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders signed the “Defense Against Criminal Illegals Act,” which took effect in August and increases penalties for illegal immigrants committing “serious felonies involving violence.” (DOMINIC GWINN/Middle East Images/AFP via Getty Images)

The law signed by Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders also allowed Arkansas sheriffs to engage with ICE and permits law enforcement to apply via ICE’s federal 287(g) program to be authorized to serve immigration warrants on illegal immigrants already in custody for other offenses.

Most of the Benton County arrests were made through its 287(g) agreement, which allows deputies to question people who are booked into the jail about their immigration status, according to AP. The county’s program accounted for over 4% of all nationwide arrests tied to similar local programs.

The program allows deputies to alert ICE of inmates suspected of being in the country illegally, who are then transferred into ICE custody before being moved to a detention center in another county after a couple of days. They are then taken to a detention center in Louisiana to face potential deportation.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) announced in September there were more than 1,000 287(g) program agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies, a 641% increase from 135 programs. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)

AP reported that half of the individuals arrested by ICE through the program were convicted of crimes, while the others have pending charges.

Recent ICE holds show people charged with forgery, sexual assault, drug trafficking, theft and public intoxication, with many recent cases involving domestic violence allegations and unsafe-driving offenses, AP reported.

AP reported that Benton County has a high immigrant population compared to the rest of the state, and arrests increased sharply this year after the expansion of ICE partnerships and state-level requirements for sheriff cooperation.

More than 450 people have been detained from Jan. 1 through Oct. 15 at the Benton County Jail in Arkansas, according to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrest data reviewed by the Associated Press. (Christopher Dilts/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The Department of Homeland Security and ICE announced in September there were more than 1,000 287(g) program agreements with state and local law enforcement agencies, a 641% increase from 135 programs.

While the program has led to the detention of violent criminals, critics argue it has also swept up minor offenders and legal residents. AP reported that Cristina Osornio, a legal permanent U.S. resident and mother of six children, was jailed after a traffic stop in Benton County months after her husband was deported to Mexico.