Sheriff Oscar Ugarte faced a standing-room-only crowd on Saturday, telling residents that El Paso County will use the warrant-service officer model to comply with Texas’ new immigration enforcement law while trying to avoid street-level immigration checks. Dozens of residents and local advocates pressed him on how any deputized officers would operate and what the plan could mean for families living in the borderland.
What the sheriff announced
Ugarte said the county will move forward with the Warrant Service Officer (WSO) model, which limits immigration cooperation to checking for federal warrants on people already booked into county custody instead of using deputies for routine field stops. He described the option as the least intrusive choice on the table and said it was selected to prevent a deeper rift between law enforcement and the community, according to KVIA.
Why the state is involved
Texas Senate Bill 8, which took effect Jan. 1, orders sheriffs in counties that operate jails to request 287(g) agreements with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. That requirement forces counties to pick one of three cooperation models. The Texas Tribune explains that the law offers limited grants to smaller counties and gives the state attorney general new tools to compel compliance, leaving larger counties like El Paso to shoulder any training or administrative costs on their own.
How the WSO model works
Under the Warrant Service Officer model, ICE trains and certifies selected detention staff to serve administrative immigration warrants inside county jails. The authority is confined to the jail setting and does not extend to routine neighborhood stops or immigration questioning in the community, according to the agency’s description. That narrower focus is what Ugarte and his team said makes WSO the better fit for a border county that relies heavily on community cooperation to solve local crimes, per ICE.
Residents pressed for answers
Audience members raised pointed questions about recent federal enforcement actions and how residents can verify that people operating in neighborhoods are actually ICE officers. Representatives from Border Network for Human Rights and other residents asked for clear guidance on warrants, identification, and what protections families have. Ugarte told the crowd that deputies can help confirm whether federal agents are legitimate but then must step back once federal officers take control of a scene, as reported by KVIA.
Where residents can turn for help
Local advocacy groups are distributing “know your rights” materials and hosting workshops to help families prepare for encounters with enforcement agents. The Border Network for Human Rights lists resources and events for residents who want legal information or help creating family preparedness plans.
Legal and budgetary stakes
SB 8’s mandate that sheriffs seek 287(g) agreements has divided officials across Texas, in part because it pushes many counties to divert staffing and jail resources toward immigration functions. The Texas Tribune notes that the law also empowers the attorney general to pursue action against sheriffs who do not comply, a pressure point that helps explain why Ugarte framed the county’s move as a legal obligation rather than a discretionary policy choice.
What comes next
Ugarte, a first-year sheriff sworn in at the start of this year, said his office will keep holding community forums as the county puts the new agreement in place and trains staff for the WSO model. The El Paso County Sheriff’s Office biography lists transparency and community policing as core priorities for his tenure, and local organizers say they intend to keep a close eye on how enforcement unfolds in the borderlands.
