Bucks County withdraws from ICE partnership
The Bucks County Sheriff’s Office announced Wednesday that it is withdrawing from its 287(g) partnership with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The 287(g) program is named for Section 287(g)(1) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, which authorizes ICE to delegate to state and local law enforcement officers the authority to perform specified immigration officer functions under the agency’s direction and supervision. According to its website, “with a 287(g) partnership, state and local law enforcement agencies and ICE work together to deport removable aliens involved in gang activity, violent crimes, human smuggling, organized crime, sex offenses, drug smuggling, money laundering and many other crimes.”
At a morning press conference, Sheriff Danny Ceisler explained the decision.
“After careful evaluation, I have determined that the certain public safety costs of this ICE partnership are greatly outweighed by any potential public safety benefits that this partnership may offer,” Ceisler said. “That is why this morning I signed an order terminating the 287G partnership between the Bucks County Sheriff’s Office and ICE.
“The 287G program dates back to the Clinton administration but has been far more widely used during the Trump administration, particularly during the second Trump administration, as a method to assist in the administration’s stated goals of deporting over one million men, women and children per year,” Ceisler said.
During the announcement, Ceisler said 16 deputies in Bucks County had received expanded immigration authority under former Sheriff Fred Harran, though no immigrants had actually been detained. While explaining his decision to end the partnership, Ceisler talked about Bucks County’s community of over 50,000 immigrants, primarily from India, South Asia, Latin America, Liberia and Ukraine.
“Those immigrants are our neighbors. They are our friends. They are taxpayers,” Ceisler said. “And they deserve the protection of law enforcement in this community.”
Ceisler also made it clear that Bucks County deputies will not perform immigration enforcement and that victims, witnesses, and court observers will never be questioned on their immigration status.
A Facebook post also outlined what the decision does not mean, as Bucks County is not a “sanctuary county,” that “ICE officers will continue to have access to the county jail,” and the county will “continue to cooperate with ICE to deport criminals already in custody.”
Steve Ulrich is managing editor of Politics PA.
If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck… I heard basically the same speech from the Minnesota’s mayor. 50,000 immigrant neighbors, friends and taxpayers (and probably voters) – but are they legal immigrants? Our sheriff don’t care, and won’t ask, I assume, even if they run afoul with law enforcement. Strange that he cares enough to have counted them and knows where they come from. I guess as long as they’re not Somalian, it’s ok (?) As reported by this news organization 8 of the 10 most dangerous criminal arrests recently were illegal aliens. Time will tell and federal funds may be withheld. Quack quack.