The Cameron County Sheriff's Office will soon be working with federal immigration officers as part of a new state law.

Starting on Jan. 1, 2026, inmates at the Cameron County jail will be questioned by a trained jailer about their citizenship and immigration status.

It's part of an agreement Cameron County Commissioners approved on Tuesday for sheriff’s deputies to work with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers.

It's a partnership that's drawing criticism from some in the community.

Under Senate Bill 8, ICE can authorize local authorities to carry out certain types of immigration enforcement in local jails, where officers can be deputized to question inmates about their immigration status and to serve administrative warrants.

READ MORE ABOUT THE STATE MANDATE HERE 

Cameron County Sheriff Manuel Treviño said the program will also save the sheriff's office money.

If an inmate is found to be in the country illegally, a jailer will place them on an ICE detainer.

The sheriff says three jailers will be trained initially, with training expected to take four to eight hours. Any inmate placed on an ICE detainer will stay at the jail until their state charges are resolved.

After that, federal authorities will take over.

Treviño said the county will send the required information to ICE and wait for training information. The sheriff expects jailers to be trained and ready for their new roles within the first two weeks of January.

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