Some community members in Bradford are raising questions and concerns about the police department’s recent agreement with ICE through the 287(g) program.
At a city council meeting on March 10, Police Chief Mike Ward defended his department’s partnership with ICE, saying it improves efficiency by reducing their reliance on federal agents.
Last year, Ward said police responded to a group of Venezuelans in an ATM hijacking scheme.
“We had them in our custody for a long period of time," Ward said. "This all would have been a totally different scenario for us now that we have the federally deputized officers.”
Now, Ward said there are four police officers who will get ICE training. That means police won’t have to wait for an ICE agent to transport someone they've arrested for being in the country illegally to a detention facility or border patrol. Plus, Ward said this arrangement will improve conditions for detainees as well, since they won't have to wait long periods of time at the Bradford police station, which is only meant for short-term holding.
Ward said their federally-trained police officers will only step in if there’s an already existing criminal investigation.
But, on ICE’s website about the 287(g) program Task Force Model, which Bradford is under, it says law enforcement can use immigration authority from the program "while performing routine police duties." Another page on ICE's website with frequently asked questions gives the example of identifying an illegal immigrant at a DUI checkpoint.
Ward said if Bradford police stopped someone for speeding, they would run that person’s license plate and try to find out their identity. If police found out that person was here illegally, they could be detained and given to ICE.
A community member asked Ward about the potential for racial profiling. Ward said that would be illegal.
“I’m asking for you to have a little trust in me, and some of you in this room do know me," Ward said. "I would never allow something like that.”
Ward said his department can and will step away from the agreement at any time if they feel ethical boundaries are crossed.
“I’m really stressing that I think you all, if you think about it, would rather have a local person that lives in our community handling these crimes of illegal immigration versus a team coming in from outside," Ward said.
Bradford is one of 67 law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania that have signed onto an ICE partnership, including Reynoldsville Borough police and the Lewistown Borough Constable’s office.
You can hear all of the community members' questions and Ward's responses below. The discussion begins at the 11:25 time mark and ends around 44 minutes into the video.
