Blue state sheriffs combine forces to fight back against sanctuary laws

The agreements allow for increased cooperation between the local law enforcement agencies and ICE, including programs that focus on identifying and processing illegal immigrants that are already in custody and are eligible for deportation. Another program allows for a "task force model," which brings the local agencies in to serve as a "force multiplier" for ICE, the report said.

The agreements come in a state that has seen widespread use of so-called "sanctuary" policies that limit or prohibit a local jurisdiction's ability to cooperate with federal immigration authorities, with the latest Center for Immigration Studies data showing 12 Minnesota counties that have passed rules limiting cooperation with ICE.

The five sheriff's offices inking agreements with ICE over the last few months brings the total number of offices participating in 287g in the state to seven, the Sahan Journal report notes, with the five new counties joining Sherburne and Kandiyohi counties, which have long had cooperation agreements with ICE.

However, the program is not without critics, with Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison's office cautioning local agencies to consider potential drawbacks.

"While 287g agreements are sometimes touted as a tool for getting violent offenders off the street, studies have shown that large numbers of people detained through 287g-related enforcement have committed only misdemeanors or traffic violations," a spokesperson for Ellison's office told the Sahan Journal.

Fox News Digital has reached out to Walz's office for comment.