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ICE seeks to subsidize officer liability coverage for 287(g) policing
The proposal would cover professional liability policies of up to $500,000 for 287(g) officers, while risk pools in some states are already excluding proactive immigration enforcement activities.
US Immigration and Customs Enforcement is seeking industry feedback on a plan to subsidize liability insurance for local police officers performing federal immigration enforcement under its 287(g) program, according to a planning document first reported by the Associated Press and covered by The Independent.
Under the proposal, officers in the 287(g) program would buy professional liability insurance covering up to $500,000, typically to fund legal fees, settlements, and judgments, and they would be reimbursed up to $250 annually, roughly the expected policy cost.
The document highlights coverage gaps that some agencies have already encountered as municipal and state risk pools increasingly exclude immigration enforcement from policies that normally cover routine law enforcement work. Pennsylvania’s risk pool recently said it would exclude “proactive immigration enforcement activities,” and some participating counties have had to secure alternate coverage, including Butler County Sheriff Michael Slupe, who told the AP he found insurance for 13 deputies at $20,000 in annual premiums.
The story also notes that, as local officers take on federal enforcement functions, claims tied to actions such as excessive force, wrongful arrest, or illegal search may fall outside coverage written for standard policing, and that federal officers often have legal immunities and government-funded defense that may not automatically extend to local deputies.