On April 8, 2025, Hood County Sheriff Roger Deeds stood before Commissioners’ Court and stated his preference: “I feel like what’s appropriate for Hood County is that Warrant Officer one.” He had previously submitted the application for the Warrant Service Officer model under ICE’s 287(g) program. In Commissioners Court that day, he said he lacked staff to spare for the Task Force Model training without reinforcements on patrol, and would need additional deputies before considering it. He also noted uncertainty about the Task Force model, and claimed that few or no Texas sheriff’s offices were participating in it at that time.
Less than a year later, following a series of emails sent by a local activist and a letter signed by over 100 residents, the Hood County Sheriff’s Office application for the Task Force Model was accepted by ICE. According to Sheriff Deeds, the Task Force has since arrested roughly 80 illegal aliens, and received federal funds for doing so. Granbury PD is also participating in the Task Force Model, according to ICE’s website.
We don’t believe these changes did not happen on a whim. They happened thanks to increased pressure from the grassroots. Whether you are sending emails, gathering signatures, or calling local officials, your actions can have a major impact on immigration enforcement at the local level.
The activism began on January 24, 2025, when Hood County resident Nate Criswell wrote Sheriff Deeds inquiring about plans to cooperate with federal deportation efforts and whether deputies verify legal status when they encounter individuals breaking Texas law. The sheriff replied the same day that the office would “do whatever needed to help.” Deeds went on to say that verified non-citizens arrested on state charges receive ICE holds, and that the office was already aware of non-citizen concentrations in the Granbury area. The sheriff also noted limited manpower for proactive street work while awaiting clearer federal guidance.
On April 4, 2025, Criswell asked what manpower, funding, or incentives the sheriff would need to participate in 287(g). Deeds responded that he had been researching the program for about six weeks. He described the Jail Enforcement Model (four weeks of East Coast training), the Warrant Service Officer model (eight-hour online training for jail personnel), and the Task Force Model (which he said at the time lacked a complete training plan and would require additional manpower for operations). He indicated willingness to pursue the Warrant Service Officer option and did so in court.
That response was shared with Chris Russo, President of Texans for Strong Borders. Strong Borders provided Criswell with the official ICE 287(g) program page, confirmed that dozens of other Texas sheriff’s offices had already entered agreements, and suggested specific questions about planned models, training timelines, and existing ICE cooperation outside of formal a 287(g) Memorandum of Agreement.
Four days later, at the April 8 Commissioners’ Court meeting, a letter signed by 112 Hood County residents was read into the record, urging the sheriff and the court to enter a 287(g) agreement so local deputies could better identify, detain, and facilitate removal of illegal aliens.
Sheriff Deeds confirmed he had submitted paperwork for the Warrant Service Officer model and was awaiting ICE approval. He explained the practical limits of a county whose jail typically sees only a handful of relevant cases at a time, contrasted Hood County with larger jurisdictions, and stated that the Warrant Service Officer model was the appropriate choice. Commissioners requested additional details on staffing and costs but took no formal vote that day.
In September 2025, Criswell again contacted the sheriff, this time with the Department of Homeland Security’s newly announced reimbursement program. On September 2, 2025, DHS stated that beginning October 1, 2025, ICE would pay participating agencies for the full annual salary and benefits of each eligible trained 287(g) officer, including up to 25 percent overtime, and would provide quarterly monetary awards based on the successful location of ICE-identified individuals. Deeds said on October 15th, 2026, that he is “always happy to hear from constituents on matters as important as local deportations.”
The Task Force Model authorizes trained local officers to perform specified immigration functions under ICE supervision while conducting routine duties. Combined with the Warrant Service Officer authority already in place for jail processing, Hood County now has formal tools to identify removable non-citizens who have already violated Texas law and to assist on targeted operations. The roughly 80 arrests attributed by the sheriff to the Task Force show that the expanded authority has already produced results. The federal reimbursement structure directly addresses the manpower and cost concerns the sheriff raised in April.
Texas Senate Bill 8, effective January 1, 2026, requires every sheriff whose county operates a jail to request and enter a 287(g) agreement by December 1, 2026. Hood County’s progression from a public preference for the narrowest model to signed agreements under both the Warrant Service Officer and Task Force Models, and to reported Task Force arrests, shows that constituent engagement and clear federal information can move an office past initial operational caution and into measurable enforcement.
“I encourage everyone to use Texans for Strong Border’s 287(g) tracker when talking to their sheriff or police chief about working with ICE. Activists should show them that federal funds are available, and point to the nearby cities and counties that are already participating. The more green we see on the tracker, the easier it is to make the case, and the safer Texas becomes,” Criswell said.
Texans for Strong Borders will continue tracking 287(g) participation statewide and equipping residents with the official ICE program materials and federal funding details. This example in Hood County demonstrates that simple emails, letters, and conversations can give real results when residents take action and encourage their law enforcement.