The number of state and local officers working with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the country’s immigration and customs enforcement agency, has doubled in the last eight months. A new report from the immigration reform advocacy group FWD.us, released on February 16, 2026, indicates that participation in ICE’s 287(g) program has increased by over 900 percent during the second term of the Trump administration.
Separately, in Kuching, Malaysia, police are awaiting a forensic psychiatric report for a 16-year-old student involved in an axe attack on a teacher at a private school. The incident, which occurred on October 21, 2026, was live-streamed on social media.
Background
- Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, created in 1996, authorizes the federal government to delegate certain functions of federal immigration agents to state and local police.
- The 287(g) program's 'Task Force Model' was scrapped in 2012 following allegations of racial profiling, but the Trump administration revived it in 2025 with new financial incentives.
- On October 21, 2026, a 16-year-old student attacked a teacher with an axe at a private school in Kuching, Malaysia, an incident that was live-streamed on social media.
- Police received an emergency call at 8:03 AM on October 21, 2026, reporting a student with firecrackers who had injured a teacher with an axe.
Expansion of ICE Partnerships
According to the FWD.us report, as of January 26, 2026, 1,168 law enforcement agencies had officers trained to support ICE operations. By February 13, 2026, ICE had signed 1,415 Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) under Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act across 40 states. Approximately 150 new local agencies joined the program in the first few weeks of 2026 alone. As of October 1, 2026, over 2,600 287(g) agreements were in effect in 38 states.
Section 287(g) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, created in 1996, authorizes the federal government to delegate certain functions of federal immigration agents to state and local police. Under this program, local officers can identify, question, detain, and transfer individuals suspected of being in the country without authorization to federal custody. The Trump administration revived the ‘Task Force Model’ of the 287(g) program in 2025 with new financial incentives, after it was scrapped in 2012 following allegations of racial profiling. ICE offers up to $7,500 per trained agent for training costs and equipment, and up to $100,000 for vehicles and overtime payments.
Kuching School Attack Investigation
In the Kuching school attack, police have recorded statements from 38 witnesses, including students, teachers, security guards, medical officers, and the accused’s parents. Sarawak acting police commissioner Deputy Comm Saifullizan Ishak stated on October 28, 2026, that police submitted the investigation paper (IP) to the deputy public prosecutor after completing their probe. The investigation revealed that the accused purchased the axe online. Police confiscated the axe, a knife, firecrackers, a computer, and mobile phones, sending them to the Chemistry Department for analysis.
The 16-year-old accused student remains hospitalized for psychiatric evaluation and treatment. Deputy Comm Saifullizan told a press conference on October 28, 2026, that the incident was triggered by the accused’s depression. Once the psychiatric report is received, police will forward it to the deputy public prosecutor, who will decide whether to charge the accused. Dr. Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen, a Member of Parliament for Bandar Kuching, has urged the public and media to refrain from sharing videos of school violence, warning that such displays could lead to copycat effects.
Why it matters for Nepal
As of September 2025, there were 34,807 active Nepali students in the United States, according to Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS) data. In 2020, over 382,000 documented Nepali workers were in Malaysia.
