Pinal County Supervisors Void County Attorney’s ICE Task Force Agreement, Triggers Legal and Political Clash

The Pinal County Board of Supervisors voted this week to declare a federal immigration enforcement agreement entered into by County Attorney Brad Miller “illegal and void,” igniting a public and political dispute over county authority, public safety, and cooperation with federal immigration officials.

The decision targets a 287(g) task force agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) that Miller signed in late 2025. Under the agreement, select county personnel would have been authorized to assist ICE with immigration enforcement activities outside the county jail setting.

In a resolution adopted Wednesday, according to The Arizona Mirror, supervisors said Miller lacked statutory authority to enter into the agreement without board approval, rendering the contract unenforceable. Supervisors emphasized that they were not rejecting 287(g) agreements outright but objecting to the county attorney’s unilateral action.

As previously reported by the California Globe, neighboring Maricopa County Sheriff Jerry Sheridan publicly reaffirmed that his office is cooperating with federal immigration authorities amidst mounting protests in Arizona.

Scope of the Dispute

Immigration enforcement remains a charged issue in Arizona, which is home to a sizable, illegal immigrant population. According to 2023 estimates from the Migration Policy Institute, roughly 307,000 people living in Arizona lack legal immigration status, representing about 3–4 percent of the state’s population at that time. 

Pinal County, located midway along the I-10 between Phoenix and Tucson, already participates in a jail-based 287(g) program, which allows detention officers to identify and transfer inmates who are in the country illegally to ICE custody. That program remains in place following the board’s vote, according to Fox 10 Phoenix.

Nationally, estimates place the illegal immigrant population at approximately 14 million, highlighting why programs such as ICE’s 287(g) partnerships continue to draw intense political, legal, and public scrutiny.

The blocked agreement would have expanded participation into a task force model, enabling trained county personnel to assist with immigration enforcement activities beyond jail facilities, per AZ Family.

Board Chairman Jeffrey McClure told Fox10 that the issue was procedural and legal, saying Miller signed the agreement without the governing body’s required authorization to bind the county to contracts.

County Attorney Responds

Miller disputed the board’s claim and publicly challenged supervisors to cite a clear legal basis for voiding the agreement. He has urged the board to formally ratify the partnership, arguing the agreement was designed to enhance public safety and focus on individuals accused or convicted of serious crimes.

In a statement reported by ABC15, Miller said, “The Board of Supervisors says our 287(g) agreement is ‘void.’ Prove it. Since December, we have repeatedly asked the Board for the legal authority supporting that claim, and they have provided none to our office. A claim without communication does not justify pulling our ICE partners off the street and weakening public safety. If the Board truly stands with our ICE partners, it should place this issue on the agenda for the next Board meeting and ratify the agreement. We stand with President Trump and our federal law enforcement partners.”

Miller has consistently framed expanded ICE cooperation as a law-and-order issue, saying local prosecutors should have access to federal tools and training to combat violent crime.

A fight is unfolding in Pinal County over whether county investigators have the authority to enforce federal immigration law under an agreement with the Department of Homeland Security. https://t.co/0uvtOtTaI7 pic.twitter.com/bka5yVG25v

— ABC15 Arizona (@abc15) January 22, 2026

Public Reaction and Community Division

The supervisors’ vote followed weeks of heightened public debate. During public comment at the meeting, residents expressed sharply divided views, with some warning that expanded ICE cooperation would create fear in immigrant communities and discourage residents from engaging with law enforcement.

Other speakers accused the board of undermining public safety, arguing that, in their view, blocking the task force agreement protected illegal immigrants at the expense of law-abiding residents.

Opposition to the agreement has also included organized protests. Earlier this month, demonstrators disrupted a pro-ICE press conference in Phoenix featuring Miller, forcing organizers to move the event indoors. Protesters chanted slogans opposing ICE and held signs condemning immigration enforcement, while supporters displayed signs thanking Miller and backing ICE agents.

At that event, Miller praised ICE agents and highlighted legislation he is supporting that would criminalize interference with lawful arrests — a proposal that has drawn both Republican support and criticism from immigrant-rights advocates.

The Pinal County dispute mirrors ongoing statewide tension over immigration enforcement. In 2025, Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed multiple Republican-backed bills that would have expanded or mandated cooperation between local agencies and ICE.

Arizona’s history with 287(g) programs — including prior legal challenges tied to Maricopa County — continues to shape how local governments approach federal immigration partnerships, particularly amid concerns about liability and civil-rights litigation.

An Uncertain Future for ICE Cooperation

Border Patrol data show a dramatic shift in migrant activity in the Tucson Sector, which covers most of Arizona’s southern border, including Pinal County. In fiscal year 2024, the Tucson Sector recorded more than 460,000 encounters and apprehensions of migrants crossing the border without authorization, according to AZPM, one of the highest totals of any sector nationwide, as migrants continued to illegally enter the country between ports of entry.

 In contrast, preliminary federal statistics for fiscal year 2025 indicate that overall enforcement encounters along the Southwest border plunged, dropping dramatically nationwide from about 1.53 million in FY 2024 to roughly 237,500 in FY 2025, the lowest Southwest border total in decades, and reflecting steep declines in crossings that would similarly affect Tucson Sector migrant activity. These trends highlight how federal policy changes and shifts in border enforcement under the Trump Administration have coincided with a substantial drop in illegal crossings over the past year.

For now, Pinal County’s involvement with ICE remains limited to its existing jail-based program. Whether the supervisors’ declaration will withstand legal challenge or whether Miller will seek judicial clarification of his authority remains unresolved.

The episode underscores the broader conflict playing out across Arizona over who controls local immigration enforcement decisions — and how far counties should go in partnering with federal authorities.