The Lubbock County Commissioners Court will decide Monday whether three of the county’s constable offices can sign agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that would let trained deputies carry out some federal immigration duties.
Items 14, 15 and 16 on the court’s Nov. 9 agenda would authorize the county judge to sign a “Memorandum of Agreement 287(g) Task Force Model” between ICE and Lubbock County Constable Precincts 1, 2 and 4. The meeting starts at 10 a.m. on the fifth floor of the courthouse, 904 Broadway. As of Sunday morning, no backup documents for those items were posted on the county’s meeting site, and Precinct 3 was not on the agenda.
What is 287(g)?
Section 287(g) of federal immigration law lets ICE delegate some immigration-officer duties to state and local officers, working under ICE’s direction and oversight, according to ICE. There are three versions:
- Jail Enforcement Model: Designated officers identify and process removable people who have pending or active criminal charges.
- Warrant Service Officer Model: Officers serve and execute ICE administrative warrants on people already in their custody.
- Task Force Model (the one on Monday’s agenda): Designated officers can enforce limited immigration authority while doing routine police work or as part of an ICE-led task force.
ICE says officers in the Task Force Model must be U.S. citizens, pass a background check and have at least two years of law enforcement experience, and ICE pays for their training. As of Nov. 4, ICE listed Task Force agreements with 2,001 agencies in 32 states and two U.S. territories.
Why now, and who’s already in
A state law, Senate Bill 8, requires the sheriff of every Texas county that runs a jail to request and enter an immigration enforcement agreement with ICE by Dec. 1, 2026. Constables and city police aren’t required to join, but many have, News 4 San Antonio reported in August. The Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office has had a 287(g) Jail Enforcement Model agreement dated June 8, 2020.
Supporters say the agreements formalize cooperation with federal authorities and bring training and resources, and ICE says agencies may be eligible for reimbursement. Civil-rights groups have raised particular concerns about the Task Force Model because it extends immigration enforcement beyond jails into routine encounters, News 4 reported.
Constables are elected county peace officers. The county hasn’t said publicly how the three offices would use the authority. We’ve asked.
How to speak Monday
Anyone who wants to address the court must sign the clerk’s registry before the meeting. Speakers get two minutes and can only speak on items on the agenda, according to the agenda.
Also on the county agenda
- Fire protection: Fiscal 2027 critical needs funding applications for the New Deal and Woodrow volunteer fire departments and the Wolfforth Fire Department.
- “Pancho Clos is Coming to Town”: A funding request for the event under a Texas Property Code provision, with the money to be used to promote economic development, the agenda says.
- County workplace rules: A new personnel action process and an employee handbook section on personnel action notifications involving elected officials.
- Also: A September report on venue and short-term rental tax collections, an online auction of surplus property, a Microsoft licensing agreement and the monthly county road report.
Elsewhere this week
- Lubbock ISD, Monday, 7 a.m.: A special called meeting to swear in a newly appointed District 5 trustee, according to agenda text compiled from the district’s postings. The seat opened after the previous trustee announced his resignation in September. At 7:30 a.m., the board’s facilities committee takes up a property proposal from Rooster Equity for 2107 and 2115 19th St., surplus land at 2115 19th St. and bond projects going out for bids.
- Lubbock ISD, Thursday, Nov. 12, 5 p.m.: The regular meeting includes a Head Start grant continuation application, a bilingual and ESL waiver application to the Texas Education Agency and naming the library at Anthony Peppers Elementary.
- Lubbock City Council, Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2 p.m.: A public hearing on a 90-day pause for large data centers. Our preview explains how to speak.
- Wednesday, Nov. 11: Veterans Day. Our Veterans Day guide lists ceremonies and free meals. The Lubbock Lights meetings calendar also lists an Idalou ISD board meeting that day and an anticipated South Plains College regents meeting Thursday.
We’ll report what the Commissioners Court decides Monday.
Sources
- Lubbock County Commissioners Court agenda, Nov. 9, 2026: https://lubbockcounty.legistar.com/View.ashx?M=A&ID=1452243&GUID=5EE72163-5FE2-45E3-ADC7-F4DCCCCBC839
- Lubbock County Legistar meeting calendar: https://lubbockcounty.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx
- ICE, 287(g) program page: https://www.ice.gov/identify-and-arrest/287g
- ICE, Lubbock County Sheriff's Office 287(g) JEM MOA (2020): https://www.ice.gov/doclib/287gMOA/287g_JEM_LubbockCoTX_06-08-2020.pdf
- Texas Legislature, SB 8 (89R) enrolled bill summary: https://capitol.texas.gov/billlookup/BillSummary.aspx?Bill=SB8&LegSess=89R
- News 4 San Antonio, Jordan Elder, Aug. 27, 2026: https://news4sanantonio.com/news/investigations/here-are-the-texas-cities-counties-and-constable-offices-with-ice-287g-agreements
- MyTown / The Boring Parts, Lubbock ISD agenda text: https://mytown.theboringparts.com/city/bb-869/
- Lubbock ISD board meeting information: https://www.lubbockisd.org/page/board-meeting-information/
- KCBD, Sept. 25, 2026 (District 5 resignation): https://www.kcbd.com/2026/09/25/lubbock-isd-names-three-new-elementary-schools-district-5-trustee-announces-resignation/
- Lubbock Lights meetings calendar: https://lubbocklights.com/