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The Lancaster County District Attorney's Office in Pennsylvania has joined the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) task force model, expanding ICE's reach in the region. This partnership, formalized through a 287(g) agreement signed on August 28, delegates certain immigration enforcement powers to local law enforcement. These powers include the ability to interrogate individuals suspected of being in the country unlawfully and to make warrantless arrests.
The DA's office clarified that only one detective is currently undergoing training with ICE. Erik Yabor, a media specialist for the office, stated, "Our office agreed to have one detective in our County Detective complement trained on ICE’s procedures. The purpose of the training is so that this detective has the knowledge and awareness of current practices so they can understand how to handle such cases as the need arises."
While 39 law enforcement agencies in Pennsylvania have signed similar 287(g) agreements, the Lancaster County DA's Office emphasized that it will evaluate any requests from ICE on a case-by-case basis. The office does not expect any additional costs from this collaboration, as the detective involved is already part of the FBI's Violent Crimes Task Force.
This move reflects ongoing efforts to enhance local law enforcement's role in immigration enforcement, though it may also attract scrutiny from those concerned about civil liberties and community relations.