Livingston County, MI Sheriff Signs 287(g) Agreement With ICE Without Board Vote; Becomes State's 8th Active Jurisdiction

Sheriff Mike Murphy signed a 287(g) Warrant Service Officer agreement on July 21, authorizing county detention staff to serve and execute ICE administrative warrants. Murphy stated the primary motivation was eligibility for a DOJ grant for immigration investigation equipment; no county board vote preceded the signing. The Michigan Immigrant Rights Center immediately called on county officials to rescind the agreement, citing racial profiling risks. Livingston County is now Michigan’s 8th active 287(g) jurisdiction.

The DOJ-grant-as-incentive mechanism here is a distinct enrollment pathway from the state-mandate route the timeline has tracked in Tennessee, where HB2219 made 287(g) enrollment compulsory for sheriffs statewide (2026-05-10–tennessee-hb2219-287g-sheriff-mandate-signed-law) — Michigan’s expansion is proceeding voluntarily, jurisdiction by jurisdiction, driven by federal grant eligibility rather than state compulsion, and without the board oversight that would normally accompany a policy change of this scope.