McCandless approves resolution to keep local police from working with ICE | 90.5 WESA

Officials in the North Hills suburb of McCandless voted late Monday evening to bar the police department from working on immigration enforcement with the federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

The resolution was about “keeping McCandless police doing McCandless police business, and that is all,” said Council President Trish Cloonan, one of the measure’s supporters.

The vote followed more than two hours of public comment from more than 40 residents, most opposed to the measure, as the town became the latest local community to wade into the immigration debate roiling the nation.

Before casting their votes, several council people said that in addition to the hours of public comments they heard on Monday evening and at a prior meeting, they had received hundreds of emails about the issue.

Cloonan was joined by four other council members in support of the measure: Laureen Alt, Nathan Babich, Nick Giorgetti and Jack Hickerson. Two council members were opposed: Doug Arlow and Joe Wall.

The resolution states the town is committed to being a welcoming place for all, and that it would “continue to enforce any criminal warrant or court order legally issued from a detached judge or judicial officer,” the resolution states.

But it also says “McCandless will not enable or assist ICE or CBP related to civil law enforcement,” and will not enter into a so-called 287(g) agreements with those agencies.

A 287(g) agreement allows state and local law enforcement officials to perform immigration-related functions; the use of such agreements has exploded since President Trump’s second term began last year.

Critics warn that such agreements can lead local police to engage in racial profiling and civil rights violations. They also caution that immigration enforcement could draw police away from enforcing the state and local laws they are supposed to be policing, while discouraging undocumented individuals from reporting crimes..

A list of participating agencies in the 287(g) program on the ICE website shows roughly 60 Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies, including the Beaver, Butler, and Westmoreland County Sheriff’s offices, and Springdale Borough.

Following the arrest of a Springdale man from Peru after a traffic stop, dozens of Springdale residents

to criticize the agreement itself there, as well as the fact that the borough’s police chief apparently entered into the agreement without a vote of council members.

earlier this month packed a municipal meetingOther local communities, such as Oakmont, have taken the opposite approach and voted to prohibit police from enforcing non-criminal federal immigration laws.

While McCandless joined the latter camp Monday, residents opposed to the measure said they feared its passage would encourage illegal immigration to the area. A number of speakers were incredulous at the idea that police would be discouraged from working with federal law enforcement, or brought up crimes committed by people who were in the country illegally.

Many speakers said the town councilors should stick to “local” issues, such as stormwater management.

“You got a problem with immigration? Go see [U.S. Senator] John Fetterman. Go see [U.S. Rep.] Chris Deluzio. They have the power to change it. We don’t,” said Wall, who voted against the measure.

Speakers in support of the measure countered by citing complaints about heavy-handed tactics by ICE, or highlighted America’s long history of absorbing immigrants.

Several speakers shared personal stories about the issue.

Physician and longtime McCandless resident Ankur Puri said he is a naturalized U.S. citizen who has lived in the country for 25 years.

“Why is it that a person that looks like me, in today’s day and age, gets concerned enough to have to carry my passport with me?” he asked council members.

“Think about that when you’re voting.”