Can it happen here?

When I was a reporter at the Bucks County Courier Times, one of the editor’s inevitable questions was: “Can it happen here?” It was a story idea from the boss that may have followed a city power blackout, or a major disease outbreak, or even an earthquake half-way around the globe — usually on a slow news day. 

“What would we do?” was the question. Believe me, those stories — and there were a few — shed some light on the response preparedness we’re fortunate to have had in Bucks. Some of these ideas went nowhere, of course. 

Because of the recent illegal immigration controversies that boiled over into violent attacks on citizens, law enforcement, and public property in major cities, we may wonder if it could happen here in Bucks County. 

Since June 2025, eight major cities, including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, and San Francisco, were hit with violent demonstrations directed at federal immigration policies and Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. 

Having seen dangerous mob attacks on ICE and a breakdown in law and order, we’ve come to recognize the blatant political nature of the resistance. Democratic leaders in blue cities and states are united in their opposition to ICE, President Trump, and his use of the National Guard. The Guard, Trump says, is intended to help beleaguered cities combat high crime and rid their communities of known criminals, namely those who entered this country illegally — mostly during the open border policies of the Biden administration. 

This past weekend, anti-ICE riots in Portland and Chicago dominated the news cycle, along with Democratic state and city leaders pushing back against ICE and Trump’s calling in Guard to help quell the “fires.” Governor J.B. Pritzer (D-IL) took a political bat to the Trump administration and the so-called “militarization” of Chicago with plenty of uncivil bluster.  

In Portland, municipal and state leaders also say there’s no need for federal agents to come their “peaceful” city. On the scene there, when ICE arrested a criminal immigrant with pedophilia charges, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem didn’t mince words in kicking him out and also describing Chicago and Portland’s resistance as “politics and power.” 

And scheming. We are told huge protests in the big, blue cities (and college campuses) are neither spontaneous nor issue-focused, but born of strategic planning. They are organized disruptions financed often by little known organizations or individuals with goals of disruption, destruction, and division — and are under investigation by U.S. and foreign intelligence agencies. 

Watching the news makes one wonder how our political leaders would react if federal agents were searching for and arresting illegal immigrant criminals in our backyard. Would politics drive the opposition from state and local Democratic leaders, similar to their counterparts in blue cities? Actually, we have seen a hint of the Democratic Bucks County commissioners’ attitude toward federal immigration authorities, as veiled as it was. 

It happened in May. Bucks County Commissioners Bob Harvie and Diane Ellis-Marseglia quietly demonstrated their leanings when Sheriff Fred Harran publicly told the commissioners of his agreement with ICE. Harran signed on to the federal 287(g) program, related to the arrest and deportation of illegal migrants with criminal records. ICE has trained a dozen of his deputies, pursuant to this cooperation.

But the two Democratic commissioners took issue with Harran’s decision. Ellis-Marseglia and Solicitor Amy Fitzpatrick (no relation to Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick) said only the commissioners have the authority to enter into “contracts,” not row officers like the sheriff. Republican Commissioner Gene DiGirolamo supports Harran. 

Harran continued with the agreement and the county took no action, but an apparent surrogate, the left-wing American Civil Liberties Union, did. The ACLU took the sheriff to court to squash the agreement on civil rights grounds. It’s still pending, but a decision is expected before the November election in which Harran, a Republican, is seeking reelection.

I’m not going to second-guess how Democratic Governor Josh Shapiro or the Bucks Democratic commissioners would react if we were inundated with crime, targeted by leftist mobs, and offered Republican presidential help.   

However, I’m cautiously optimistic because we’re a “purple” county with the gift of political balance.  

Pat Wandling hosts Speak Your Piece weekdays at noon on WBCB 1490.