UPPER DARBY, P.A. (KYW Newsradio) — Elected officials in Upper Darby say many of their residents are living in constant fear of Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and now they’re working to keep the agency in check.
Upper Darby Mayor Ed Brown said he wants a minute to talk to ICE because of the fear raids strike in the community.
“Our large immigrant population is at risk,” he said. “If our community doesn’t feel safe then we need to redouble our efforts.”
Upper Darby Councilman Kyle McIntyre said ICE has stopped communicating with the township about any of its local actions. It means they don’t know how many residents ICE has in its custody.
“They come in, they pick up random people,” he said. “We have to find out about it from social media, from word of mouth, from community organizations and frankly it’s causing a lot of chaos.”
To counter, McIntyre said the township is working with community organizations to provide residents with resources so they know their rights if they’re encountered by ICE agents.
He also said the council is working on a resolution that would prohibit any 287-g agreements with ICE, which allows ICE to deputize local law enforcement to carry out immigration enforcement.
“And ensure all of our Upper Darby resources our township resources are used for township purposes and we are not going to be aiding at all in any federal enforcement,” said McIntyre.
Officials with ICE said they are working with local law enforcement partners to remove violent criminals they say are illegally in the U.S.