From Hawk Point To Winfield: What Lincoln County Residents Should Know About Local ICE Agreements

Lincoln County, Mo. — A public discussion in Hawk Point over a federal immigration enforcement agreement recently led Lincoln CountyWatch to start asking a basic question across the county:

What exactly is a 287(g) agreement, who has one, and what does it actually mean locally?

The answer is not as simple as many residents may think.

The federal 287(g) program allows certain local law enforcement agencies to partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement under formal agreements. Those agreements can look different depending on the model.

Photos of an Immigration Detainer form taken at a detention facility.

Some are primarily tied to jail settings, where trained personnel may assist with identifying or processing individuals already in custody. Others, known as Task Force Models, can allow trained local officers to perform certain immigration enforcement duties in the field under ICE supervision. Another model focuses more narrowly on administrative warrant service involving people already in custody.

That distinction matters because much of the public concern surrounding 287(g) centers on whether local participation means broad immigration sweeps, door-to-door enforcement, or local police actively targeting otherwise law-abiding residents.

Local officials who spoke with Lincoln CountyWatch generally described the agreements much more narrowly — focused on individuals already in custody, officer discretion, coordination with federal authorities, and reimbursement for eligible costs rather than new funding streams or additional officers.

Hawk Point Mayor Mark Seigler told Lincoln CountyWatch the city passing the agreement does not mean local officers will be conducting door-to-door operations or engaging in aggressive immigration enforcement tactics often associated with national debates surrounding ICE. Seigler said the local focus remains centered on public safety, criminal matters, and coordination involving individuals already in custody rather than broad enforcement activity targeting otherwise law-abiding residents.

The Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office is also confirmed to participate in the program. Local explanations provided to Lincoln CountyWatch regarding the sheriff’s participation similarly centered around reimbursement and coordination involving individuals already in custody. Officials indicated participation does not automatically add officers or create mandatory enforcement actions.

Moscow Mills Police Chief Terry Foster provided one of the more detailed responses while confirming his department is not currently participating.

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“The Moscow Mills Police Department is not currently participating in a 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE),” Foster wrote.

Foster said Moscow Mills had researched the program and gathered information, but no decision had been made.

“As with any program or partnership, our department’s priority is doing what is best to provide effective services and maintain public safety for our citizens and businesses,” Foster wrote.

Foster also explained supporters view the program as a tool for agencies to coordinate with federal authorities involving serious offenses, including violent crimes, gang activity, human trafficking, drug trafficking, or other major criminal matters.

Old Monroe Police Department also responded, stating it has not entered into an agreement with ICE and that there had been no discussions regarding participation.

Lincoln CountyWatch did not receive responses from Troy or Elsberry prior to publication. Contact information for Foley officials could not immediately be located.

After reviewing publicly available ICE records, Lincoln CountyWatch located public agreements involving the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Hawk Point, and Winfield. No other public 287(g) agreements involving Lincoln County agencies were located during that review.

Winfield is where the review raised the most questions.

Lincoln CountyWatch located a signed Memorandum of Agreement on ICE’s website identifying the Winfield Police Department under the 287(g) Task Force Model. The agreement was signed by Winfield Mayor Nicole Hanson on Feb. 18, 2026, and signed by ICE on March 1, 2026.

Before that agreement was located, Winfield Police Chief Brian Wideman told Lincoln CountyWatch the city was not participating.

“No, as far as I’m aware, the city is not participating currently with this program,” Wideman wrote in an email. “I know I have not signed any agreement and I’m not aware of the board authorizing it either.”

After Lincoln CountyWatch reviewed the signed agreement, Hanson spoke with Lincoln CountyWatch by phone and said she would speak with Chief Wideman and work to confirm additional details involving the agreement and its status.

Lincoln CountyWatch is still awaiting additional clarification from Mayor Hanson regarding the agreement, its implementation status, officer training, and how the agreement was approved and discussed locally prior to being signed.

At the time of publication, questions remained regarding whether any Winfield officers have completed federal training, whether the agreement is operational, and what level of participation currently exists within the department.

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Lincoln CountyWatch has not located documentation showing Winfield officers actively conducting immigration enforcement activity under the agreement.

The issue has also drawn questions from residents. One Hawk Point resident told Lincoln CountyWatch they wanted to better understand what local participation means as the county’s Hispanic population continues to grow, and whether the program is about public safety, reimbursement, immigration enforcement, or some combination of all three.

Donna Hughes Brown, a Pike County woman whose ICE detention drew national attention in 2025, also met with Lincoln CountyWatch and discussed why she believes residents should understand which agencies are participating and why. Brown’s full story and experience with the immigration system will be covered separately in a future sit-down interview.

For now, the local question is narrower: who is participating, what type of agreement do they have, and what does participation actually mean in practice?

So far, Lincoln CountyWatch has confirmed public 287(g) agreements involving the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office, Hawk Point, and Winfield.

Moscow Mills and Old Monroe said they are not participating.

Troy and Elsberry had not responded prior to publication.

Questions remain regarding training, implementation, public discussion, reimbursement, and how local agencies plan to explain these agreements to residents moving forward.

Lincoln CountyWatch will continue reviewing public records and seeking clarification from local agencies regarding 287(g) participation and implementation.

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If you have corrections, additional information, or public records related to local 287(g) agreements, contact Lincoln CountyWatch at tips@LincolnCountyWatch.com or call/text 636-377-0201.

Lincoln CountyWatch is not affiliated with any government agency or law enforcement department.

Story by John Eads

Sources:

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement records

Signed 287(g) Memorandum of Agreement documents

Agency email responses reviewed by Lincoln CountyWatch

Public meeting discussions and city records