Government secrecy

Secret ICE Memo Tells Local Police Not To Disclose Immigration Enforcement Info Without ICE's Permission

The agency's transparency policies may undermine federal and state laws designed to ensure the free flow of information necessary to hold government actors accountable.

Autumn Billings | 5.8.2026 4:40 PM

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A secretive memo from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) was recently issued to local law enforcement partners, barring them from answering questions about their role in immigration enforcement. This new directive raises concerns over the increased entanglement between federal and local law enforcement and the transparency of public records during President Donald Trump's ongoing immigration crackdown. 

Anonymous federal sources told The Florida Trib that a memo was emailed between April 19 and May 5 to hundreds of local agencies in Texas and Florida participating in the 287(g) program, which allows local officers to conduct certain immigration enforcement operations. The memo instructed participating agencies to contact ICE before responding to Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests for public records. 

The........

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