In recent developments, a county jail in Arkansas has emerged as a significant center for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) activity, with a notable number of detentions recorded this year.

From January 1 to October 15, the Benton County Jail has seen over 450 individuals detained, as indicated by ICE arrest statistics from the University of California Berkeley Deportation Data Project, analyzed by the Associated Press. This averages to about 1.5 arrests per day in a county with a population slightly exceeding 300,000 residents.

This increase highlights the growing collaboration between local law enforcement agencies and federal immigration officials across the United States.

In Arkansas, the implementation of the “Defense Against Criminal Illegals Act” in August has been a key factor. This legislation intensifies penalties for illegal immigrants involved in “serious felonies involving violence,” among other provisions.

The Act, signed by Arkansas Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders, underscores the state’s commitment to addressing violent crimes committed by illegal immigrants. This law aims to bolster public safety by imposing stricter consequences on offenders. (Photo Credit: 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.