Salisbury Police Department Announces Cooperation with County's 287(g) Immigration Program

SALISBURY, MD - The City of Salisbury and the Salisbury Police Department have announced their intent to cooperate with Wicomico County Sheriff's Office in implementing the federal 287(g) program. The program is designed to assist in the removal of incarcerated individuals who are found to lack legal status in the United States.

The announcement comes as Wicomico County moves forward with the Warrant Service Officer model, a partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The program allows specially trained officers to serve administrative immigration warrants on individuals already in county custody.

Chief Dave Meienschein of the Salisbury Police Department addressed the department's participation in the program. "The Salisbury Police Department would like to reaffirm our unwavering support for public safety and the trust we've built with our community. Through this 287(g) Jail Enforcement Model, we support and will cooperate with the Sheriff's Office, all of our law enforcement partners and will always act in the best interest of public safety while safeguarding the trust of all residents within the community. Our goal is simple: to protect everyone in our community with transparency without creating fear or division."

The 287(g) program operates under federal authority established in 1996. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement states that the program was created through the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act. The legislation added Section 287(g) to the Immigration and Nationality Act, authorizing ICE to delegate specified immigration officer functions to state and local law enforcement officers.

According to ICE, the program enhances community safety by allowing collaboration between federal and local agencies. ICE recognizes the importance of its relationships with law enforcement partners to carry out its mission.

Mayor Randy Taylor emphasized the city's commitment to federal cooperation. "We are clearly living in unprecedented times regarding illegal immigration. City of Salisbury law enforcement will certainly cooperate with our County law enforcement partners with any and all agreements as we aid to comply with Federal law," Taylor stated.

The Wicomico County announcement from September 4, 2025, outlined the benefits of the partnership. The county stated that the WSO program provides clear guidelines for handling immigration-related responsibilities at the local level. The program ensures consistency, accountability, and proper oversight in immigration enforcement activities.

The 287(g) program operates through three different models. The Jail Enforcement Model identifies removable individuals with criminal charges who are arrested by local agencies. The Task Force Model allows officers to enforce immigration authority during routine duties. The Warrant Service Officer program enables local officers to serve administrative warrants on individuals in their agency's custody.

Additional information about the 287(g) program is available on the ICE website at https://www.ice.gov/identify-and-arrest/287g.