ICE expands state law enforcement partnerships with Indiana, Oklahoma, Wyoming 

“For our troopers this program will work as a part of daily duties already being performed,” Brown told FreightWaves. During a typical Department of Transportation inspection, questions regarding citizenship may arise organically, and if a driver is found to be in the country illegally, “then the driver will be detained and transferred to ICE custody.”

FreightWaves also sought comments from ICE, the Indiana State Police and the Oklahoma Department of Public Safety regarding the agreements, including implementation timelines, the number of officers participating and whether commercial vehicle enforcement personnel would be involved. None responded to requests for comment by publication time.

Brown emphasized that Wyoming troopers do not act as federal immigration agents.

“Our troopers do not act as ICE agents, but will enforce immigration issues in coordination with ICE only through the course of daily duties,” Brown said.

The agreements come amid increased federal and state enforcement efforts involving commercial trucking. 

Over the past year, federal authorities have expanded initiatives targeting unqualified commercial drivers, fraudulent commercial driver’s license programs and immigration-related violations discovered during roadside inspections.

For Wyoming, Brown said the program is ultimately tied to highway safety.

“The purpose of the agreement with ICE is to bolster the efforts in that priority by allowing enforcement through our trooper’s daily duties,” Brown said, referring to the agency’s mission of protecting motorists and commercial carriers on the state’s highways.

Whether Indiana and Oklahoma intend to deploy similar enforcement models, how many officers will participate, and whether commercial vehicle enforcement divisions will be involved remains unclear pending responses from those agencies and ICE.

Why it matters: The partnership between U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and state law agencies could have direct implications for trucking fleets, drivers and enforcement operations on major freight corridors.