The City of Branson’s Board of Aldermen Tuesday heard hours of public comments ahead of a unanimous vote to approve what’s known as a 287g agreement between the Branson Police Department and the Department of Homeland Security.
Police Chief Eric Schmitt introduced the measure. It will authorize members of the Branson PD to perform certain Immigration and Custom Enforcement duties, including the power to interrogate anyone believed to be an “alien,” and the power to arrest anyone believed to be inside the United States in “violation of the law.” He said that taking this power on means he and his department can use their own judgement and local laws to guide immigration enforcement. He said any enforcement by the Branson PD would only happen in cases with criminal activity.
"I would much rather have my officers being involved with these actions than people coming in from outside of the community,” Schmitt explained. “We are in a better position to handle it the way we've always handled it in taking care of our community.”
Chief Schmitt said he had been pursuing the 287g agreement for at least a few years. He said it would empower his department to better handle crime that he suggested is being carried out by illegal immigrants in Branson and is otherwise hard to police.
Members of the public representing a wide variety of demographics presented a variety of points in opposition, including concerns about the department’s priorities, public safety and the tourist destination’s reputation.
Claudia Cedillo-Clifford was one among dozens who spoke.
"This decision sends a message that some people are valued while others are watched,” she said. “Tourists feel it. Families feel it. Businesses feel it. People do not vacation in places where fear and division are visible.”
Board of Aldermen voted 6-0 to pass the measure.
287g agreements, have been promoted by the Trump administration to bolster ICE’s reach across the country. In some cases, it also comes with financial incentives for officers.
Per reporting by St. Louis Public Radio last September, there were over 1,000 law enforcement agencies with these agreements in the US, up from 135 in January 2025.
Varying 287g agreements are in place nearby including in Ash Grove, Christian County, Douglas County, Crane, Mansfied, Sparta, Walnut Grove, Mount Grove, Reeds Spring, Seymore, and Phelps, Pulaski, Wright, Webster and Ozark Counties, as well as the Missouri State Highway Patrol.