Some Allegheny County Council members seek to ban cooperation with ICE

The proposed legislation would prohibit ICE or Border Patrol from housing immigrant detainees at the Allegheny County Jail.

By JULIA BURDELSKI
TribLive

Six Allegheny County Council members on Tuesday introduced a measure to bar the county from cooperating with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement as protests against ICE have erupted throughout the nation.

“Basically, any entity that operates using county funds is not to give information to ICE, or cooperation,” Councilman Jordan Botta, one of the bill’s sponsors, told TribLive Wednesday morning.

The legislation would prohibit ICE or Border Patrol from housing immigrant detainees at the Allegheny County Jail. The measure would not allow the county to transfer anyone from the jail into ICE’s custody without a judicial warrant, which is signed by a judge.

“I think the ordinance makes it clear that Allegheny County — including the jail — is not going to act as an arm of the federal immigration enforcement,” Botta said. “But we are fully complying with the law and keeping public safety first.”

The bill would also stop immigration officers from accessing any of the county’s databases or other equipment for immigration enforcement operations.

Botta sponsored the bill alongside council members Bethany Hallam, Kathleen Madonna-Emmerling, Lissa Shulman, Dan Grzybek and Alex Rose.

“Allegheny County has welcomed immigrants and gratefully accepted their fundamental contributions to the region’s social fabric, arts community, academic landscape, and economy since its founding,” the council members wrote in the legislation.

Hallam told TribLive she believed it was an inappropriate use of county taxpayer money to enforce federal immigration law.

“It’s not our job to enforce it,” she said. “It’s their job.”

Hallam pointed out that ICE is operating in Allegheny County. She said she has seen immigration officials inside the courthouse and heard from immigration attorneys who worry “rogue” jail employees could share information with federal enforcement agents.

Under the legislation introduced this week, county sheriff’s deputies or county police officers found to be assisting ICE would be referred to the county’s Independent Police Review Board.

Other county workers would be referred to the Human Relations Commission for discipline.

“No county resources — absent, of course, a court order — would go to the support of ICE,” she said, explaining that included help from county employees.

Pittsburgh officials also have vowed not to assist ICE operations. Mayor Corey O’Connor — continuing a stance espoused by his predecessor — has repeatedly said the city won’t cooperate with ICE.

Council on Tuesday passed a will of council urging Pennsylvania’s senators to vote against additional funding for the federal agency.

A massive immigration enforcement operation in Minneapolis has sparked outrage across the nation.

Border Patrol agents fatally shot Alex Pretti, 37, on Jan. 24, and an ICE agent killed Renee Good, 37, on Jan. 7. Trump administration officials justified the shootings.

Botta and Hallam already were working on the bill prior to Pretti’s death, Botta said.

“It’s even more important now that we make sure that it’s known that… I don’t want ICE to be here,” Botta said. “And if they are here, they don’t have any resources available through the county.”