PIERRE, S.D.(DRGNews)- South Dakota Attorney General Marty Jackley has authorized the state Division of Criminal Investigation to obtain the authority [287(g)] to help federal officials enforce United States immigration laws in South Dakota.

Jackley said fentanyl and other illegal drugs brought into the country by cartels and illegal immigrants continue to be a major problem in South Dakota. He says federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement authorities cannot do it alone, so DCI’s emphasis will be on violent criminals and drug dealers.

Jackley made the announcement Wednesday during a visit with other Attorneys General to the United States border with Mexico in Arizona.

The 287(g) program, authorized by the Illegal Immigration Reform and Immigrant Responsibility Act of 1996, allows state and local law enforcement agencies to enter agreements with ICE to perform specific immigration enforcement duties under ICE supervision. These agreements grant local officers the authority to identify, process, and detain individuals for immigration violations they encounter during their regular law enforcement activities.