Jackson, Mich. (WKHM) — The Jackson County Office of the Sheriff has confirmed that they have entered into an agreement with the U.S. Customs Enforcement Agency, in which deputies assigned to the jail will receive additional training to legally detain subjects, who are already arrested and lodged, and hold them on active immigration warrants. Officials say the holds will last for 48 hours or until ICE Agents pick up the subject, whichever comes first. They were the first Michigan municipality to enter into the 287(g) agreement, of which the Warrant Service Officer Model is a part of.

Critics of the move, including the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center, say the program has been shown to result in racial profiling, be costly for localities, target individuals with little or no criminal history, and harm the relationship between police and local communities.

The Sheriff’s Office says this is no different than holding a person for another law enforcement jurisdiction that has a warrant for a subject in their jail, and doing so on immigration matters will require additional training.