“Less is more,” said one local police chief about working with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
- Jordan Wilkie/WITF
At the end of October, an Immigration and Customs Enforcement staffer emailed nine of its partner law enforcement agencies in Lancaster and York counties to coordinate federal immigration removal operations. Those partnerships allow local law enforcement officers certain authority to cooperate with federal immigration.
“ICE is looking to conduct a 30-day surge in your area,” wrote Joseph Dunn, assistant field office director out of ICE’s Philadelphia office. “Exact dates have not been set but we are looking to start before the end of the year. We would be able to surge additional ICE officers to work with your officers during a 30 day period. Let me know if this is something you can support.”
The people and agencies who received the email include sheriffs for Franklin and Lancaster counties, a Lancaster county detective working with the district attorney, a Susquehanna Regional Police detective, and chiefs for the Northwest Regional Police Department and the Manheim, West York and Quarryville boroughs. ICE also included Armstrong County’s Manor Township police in its surge email, apparently mistaking the agency with the Manor Township in Lancaster County…