NORRISTOWN (KYW Newsradio) — The Montgomery County Board of Commissioners has passed a resolution codifying the county’s policy that requires judicial warrants for any ICE activity on county property.
Commissioner Board Chair said the resolution is the product of steps taken over the last year by county commissioners.
“This resolution makes those actions explicit, permanent and transparent,” she said.
The resolution differentiates between administrative and judicial warrants. It says the county will not recognize administrative warrants, issued internally by ICE, potentially without probable cause. The county will continue to follow the law and recognize judicial warrants, signed by a judge, and require presentation of probable cause presented to a third-party.
It also says the county will never enter into a partnership that uses county resources to perform federal immigration duties.
Republican Tom DiBello said while there are parts of the resolution he agrees with, he voted no because he was not given the chance to provide input, and didn’t get the resolution until the evening before the vote.
When anyone is arrested and processed at Montgomery County Correctional Facility, their information is entered into a database that law enforcement across the country, including ICE, has access to. If immigration status and deportation is an issue, it’s ICE’s responsibility to get a judicial order for the county jail to hold the person for 48 hours. If ICE does not get the person within 48 hours, they must be released based on terms of bail.