White House highlights county cooperation with ICE, calls for more detention capacity

The White House told reporters it has seen "unprecedented" cooperation from counties in Minnesota and elsewhere on immigration enforcement and that local officials are notifying ICE when certain people are released from custody.

A spokesperson said representatives sent by the president, including Tom Homan, have secured agreements in many counties in Minnesota to notify ICE when criminal noncitizens are released from jails. She said the cooperation had led to arrests and detentions of individuals the administration described as serious criminal cases and credited Homan's efforts for the results.

Reporters asked whether these agreements are written or verbal and how many counties have signed on; the spokesperson described the arrangements as agreements made by state and local officials and said counties are notifying ICE but did not provide a count of written contracts. The spokesperson also connected the administration's broader immigration policy — including increased removals and expansion of detention facilities — to falling rental costs, as articulated in her opening remarks.

Why it matters: Local-law-enforcement cooperation with federal immigration authorities affects community policing, detention practices and the treatment of noncitizens. Whether agreements are formalized and how they are implemented are questions that reporters pressed the spokesperson to answer.

The spokesperson defended the administration's record on removals and said the White House is engaging with governors and local officials to expand detention capacity where needed.