By: NICOLAS FIERRO
Salina Post
Saline County Sheriff, Roger Soldan has given his comments and clarification after signing an agreement with ICE's 287(g) program.
According to Soldan on September 11, 2025, the Sheriff's Office signed the agreement with ICE's program, that authorizes the federal agency to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers, the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under the agency’s direction and oversight.
According to ICE, the program consists of three models/programs local and state law enforcement agencies can choose from (agencies can opt to choose all three):
- Identify and process removable aliens with pending or active criminal charges (Jail Enforcement Model).
- Enforce limited immigration authorities with ICE oversight during routine duties (Task Force Model).
- Serve and execute administrative warrants on removable aliens within the state or local jail (Warrant Service Officer Program).
Soldan told Salina Post, when the Sheriff's Office signed the agreement, it was only for the Warrant Service Officer Program.
"This option doesn't make any significant changes to the relationship the Sheriff's Office has with ICE," said Soldan. "The Sheriff's Office has always honored ICE detainers that are placed on inmates already in our jail."
Under the Warrant Service Officer Program, ICE trains, certifies and authorizes local and state officers to serve and execute administrative warrants on aliens currently in custody.
Soldan stated ICE is completely funding the training for the deputies, and that no county dollars are being used.
He also explained the process of what happens when inmates are brought into the jail system within the county, and what happens if ICE were to request a detainer.
"All inmates brought into the jail for local charges are fingerprinted and the personal information and charges are electronically transmitted. Should any outside agency, including ICE request a hold on the inmate we place a hold on them and once they are done with the local charges, that agency is notified to come and pick up their detainee, provided a confirmation of the warrant has been sent to us prior to our releasing the inmate."
In the context of ICE, the federal officers have 48 hours to pick up the detainee once done with local requested charges. If they do not, then the Sheriff's Office will release the inmate from custody.
"In the case of ICE, they have 48 hours to come and pick up the inmate from the point we are done with local charges. (Excluding Weekends and Holidays) If they do not arrive in time, the inmate is released from custody," said Soldan.
Soldan said, the Sheriff's Office has no immigration enforcement authority and they do not report any encounters to ICE.
Furthermore, Soldan stated ICE has picked up detainees from the county jail for several years in the past. He also stated that it is not his job to figure out whether someone is in the country illegally or not.
"I don't decide who they want to hold and I am not making the call," he said.
Soldan said the agreement was between the Sheriff's Office and ICE alone, and there is no financial reimbursement being made to the deputies.
According to ICE, as of November 21, the federal agency has signed 1,189 Memorandums of Agreement for 287(g) programs covering 40 states.
These agreements include Jail Enforcement Model agreements with 140 law enforcement agencies in 31 states, 287(g) Warrant Service Officer agreements with 428 law enforcement agencies in 36 states, and 287(g) Task Force Model agreements with 621 agencies in 34 states.
The 287 (g) agreement does not have a set expiration date, and any state or local law enforcement agency can terminate their signed agreement at any time.
For more information about the 287(g) program, visit: https://www.ice.gov/identify-and-arrest/287g