UPSHUR COUNTY, TEXAS (EAST TEXAS NEWS) – The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office is the latest East Texas law enforcement agency to sign an agreement with the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office signed a 287(g) Task Force Model agreement with ICE on Monday.
Upshur County Sheriff Larry Webb confirmed in a Tuesday press release that, on December 8, 2025, the Upshur County Sheriff’s Office signed a memorandum of understanding with the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to participate in its Task Force Model.
He added that, in July, Governor Abbott signed SB 8 from the 89th legislative session, which states the following:
“The sheriff of every county that operates a jail or contracts with a private provider to operate a jail shall apply for and sign an immigration enforcement agreement to authorize the sheriff and the department’s deputies, employees, and, where applicable, contractors to enforce federal immigration law.”
This law will take effect on January 1, 2026.
“The Upshur County Sheriff’s Office remains committed to collaborating with our fellow law enforcement partners to ensure the safety and well-being of all residents of our community. We will continue to use all available resources to identify criminal activity in our county and bring those responsible before the appropriate courts to answer for their actions,” Webb said in the release.
On Tuesday, the Bullard Police Department will discuss the same agreement and model at the City Council meeting that is set to take place at the municipal building at 6 p.m. in Bullard.
Nine of the East Texas region’s 23 law enforcement agencies are working with ICE under the Task Force Model.
The Task Force Model acts as a force multiplier, enabling police agencies to enforce the limited immigration authority under the supervision of ICE during their routine policing duties.
Below is a list of the 23 East Texas agencies participating in ICE’s 287(g) program in our coverage area, according to the United States Department of Homeland Security.
| Agency | Model | Signed |
|---|---|---|
| Arp Police Department | Task Force Model | 11/14/2025 |
| Anderson County Sheriff’s Office | Court-Order Service Officers Program | 06/18/2025 |
| Angelina County Sheriff’s Office | Court-Order Service Officers Program | 06/18/2025 |
| Big Sandy Police Department | Task Force Model | 11/06/2025 |
| Franklin County Sheriff’s Office | Prison Implementation Model | 05/20/2025 |
| Gregg County Sheriff’s Office | Prison Implementation Model | 03/17/2025 |
| Harrison County Sheriff’s Office | Court-Order Service Officers Program | 02/24/2025 |
| Henderson County Sheriff’s Office | Court-Order Service Officers Program | 10/17/2025 |
| Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office | Court-Order Service Officers Program | 10/17/2025 |
| Houston County Sheriff’s Office | Court-Order Service Officers Program | 04/02/2025 |
| Jasper County Sheriff’s Office | Court-Order Service Officers Program | 08/07/2025 |
| Morris County Sheriff’s Office | Prison Implementation Model | 08/28/2025 |
| Nacogdoches County Sheriff’s Office | Court-Order Service Officers Program | 08/04/2025 |
| Panola County Sheriff’s Office | Court-Order Service Officers Program, Task Force Model |
03/26/2025 |
| Polk County Sheriff’s Office | Court-Order Service Officers Program | 05/06/2025 |
| Rains County Sheriff’s Office | Court-Order Service Officers Program | 06/11/2025 |
| Rusk County Sheriff’s Office | Court-Order Service Officers Program, Task Force Model |
03/05/2025 and 08/28/2025 |
| Shelby County Sheriff’s Office | Court-Order Service Officers Program | 09/22/2025 |
| Smith County Sheriff’s Office, District 4 | Task Force Model | 10/17/2025 |
| Smith County Sheriff’s Office | Task Force Model, Prison Implementation Model |
02/18/2025 and 06/09/2020 |
| Titus County Sheriff’s Office | Court-Order Service Officers Program, Task Force Model |
03/10/2025 |
| Trinity County Sheriff’s Office | Court-Order Service Officers Program | 08/07/2025 |
| Sabine County Sheriff’s Office | Court-Order Service Officers Program, Task Force Model |
09/09/2025 |
| Upshur County Sheriff’s Office | Task Force Model | 12/08/2025 |
