Written by Caleb Brown (News Director)
After voting last month to table the matter, Monday night by a vote of 3-2 Pottsville City Council approved a memorandum of agreement between the city’s Bureau of Police and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, to enforce “certain” immigration enforcement functions under the Task Force Model of the Section 287(g) program.
However, this comes after the council initially voted to reject the agreement, also by a vote of 3-2. What followed was a re-vote where one councilman changed his vote to yes.
Discussions
More than two hours of public comment took place before the vote commenced. In which various residents shared their support or opposition to the proposed agreement. Among them was Police Chief Jody Long of Mahanoy Township.
Long, who spoke first, provided the council with insight into his department’s experience under the 287 (g) program, stating that ten arrests had been made, claiming ICE is not in control of township officers, and that officers only transported four of the ten arrests to a facility in York County.
When it was finally time to vote, Councilman Andy Wollyung issued several comments.
“I do not believe that we should be expanding our duties of our police officers at the expense of our own community. That does not just mean dollars. That means the expense of their relationships, expense of being part of our community, and I don’t think it’s fair to ask them of that.”
He continued, saying, “We’ve already seen that it’s affected schools and workplaces and homes, even if it’s just the controversy of it itself.”
He concluded by asking the council to reflect on the morality of the decision and pleaded to Pottsville Citizens to respect the city’s police officers regardless of the vote. “Do not put them through any other paces other than them doing their job.”
What is Section 287(g)
CC Broadcasting reported on information from the Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s website, the 287(g), where it is stated that the program allows local law enforcement agencies to enforce aspects of immigration law. Specifically, the website highlights the authority to:
- “Identify and process removable aliens with pending or active criminal charges.”
- “Enforce limited immigration authorities with ICE oversight during routine duties.”
- “Serve and execute administrative warrants on removable aliens in your jail.”
Access to ICE resources and training, which ICE claims to cover, is listed as part of the program. Among the training offered are immigration law, multicultural communications, and avoiding racial profiling.
Furthermore, the 287(g) program consists of three models. The Task Force Model is specifically described as allowing “your officers to enforce limited immigration authority while performing routine police duties, such as identifying an alien at a DUI checkpoint and sharing information directly with ICE. An ICE supervisor determines next steps.
These officers may also exercise limited immigration authority as active participants on ICE-led task forces.”
The Vote and Re-Vote
No other members of the council would make any statements on the agreement, and what followed was a 3-2 vote against it. When the call to vote was asked, and it was Councilman Scott Price’s turn, he remained silent for a moment before voting no, where his vote was met by applause from several audience members.
With votes from council members Dorothy Botto and Andy Wollyung, the agreement was rejected by the council.
However, only mere minutes later, Price halted the reading of another motion on the agenda, saying, “I need to stop,” before then asking what the process was to re-vote. The re-vote was allowed to proceed if someone on the winning side of a motion called for it, which Price would do.
“This is not something that I want…I mean, I’m as Republican as anybody is, but…we campaigned with the Hispanic community, but I have to side with our police officers, and the feedback I got from our law enforcement was ‘we need this to better do our jobs.’”
Wollyung, along with some spectators, urged Price not to continue with the re-vote, with Wollyung even suggesting waiting until the next scheduled council meeting.
“The longer we hold it off, the more it just festers, and at the end of the day, I did what I told you I would do. I spoke to the officers. I spoke to the leadership in the department. They are telling us they need it. They are telling us they wanna be involved, and until I see differently, I have to support the decision.” Price stated.
The vote was reopened after being seconded by Councilman Johnathan Marsh, and proceeded with Price siding with Marsh and Mayor Tom Smith in passing the agreement.