The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Nevada filed a lawsuit Monday challenging the legality of a recently renewed partnership between Las Vegas police with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 

Filed Monday, the ACLU contends that the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department’s partnership with ICE, known as 287(g), violates a legal doctrine (known as Dillon’s rule) that does not allow local agencies to exercise any powers unless specifically authorized by the Legislature. The suit also alleges that the partnership goes against a state law that requires the federal government to cover the costs of their detainees in county jails. 

The suit, filed in Clark County District Court, names Clark County Sheriff Kevin McMahill as a defendant. 

LVMPD said they do not comment on pending litigation.

The agency’s 287(g) agreement, finalized in June after Las Vegas landed on a federal list of “sanctuary” jurisdictions that has since been taken offline, allows Metro officers to hold undocumented people in custody for an additional two days so ICE can pick them up for detention. 

“We can't allow this to continue, especially using state and local resources,” ACLU of Nevada Executive Director Athar Hasseebullah said during a Monday press conference.  

LVMPD had a prior 287(g) agreement with ICE that ended in 2019 after a federal district court ruled that ICE detainers could only be honored in states with laws that specifically address civil immigration arrests.

The ACLU filed the lawsuit on behalf of their client Sergio Morais-Hechavarria, who remains detained in the Clark County Detention Center under an ICE hold, despite a judge ordering his transfer to an inpatient treatment facility. The ACLU of Nevada contended that the 287(g) agreement has trapped Morais-Hechavarria in “indefinite detention.” 

The court filing is attached below:

Updated at 2:10 p.m. on 10/13/2025 with a response from LVMPD.