Immigration Enforcement by Local Agencies: Policy and Organization of Policing

Immigration enforcement in the U.S. is mainly handled by federal agencies, but local police often act as intermediaries. While scholars have studied agency engagement, few have examined how organizational traits such as police diversification, political climate, and racial composition influence local enforcement practices. Using data from 2,500 local law enforcement agencies collected in the 2020 LEMAS survey, this study examines whether agency characteristics, county demographics, or state politics are associated with the practice of checking and reporting immigration status. Findings indicate that department size and agency policy on immigration enforcement are the most robustly associated with enforcement. Agency type (i.e., municipal/sheriffs/county agency) is conditioned by location in states with sanctuary policies.