Bucks County Courthouse. Photo by James Short.
A legal battle over Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran’s decision to partner with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement played out in court Friday, while demonstrators outside called for the program’s end.
Civil rights advocates gathered with signs, music, and speeches on the steps of the Bucks County Courthouse, opposing the sheriff’s participation in the federal 287(g) program, according to MediaNews Group. The agreement, signed by Harran in April, allows certain deputies to enforce federal immigration law — a move critics argue strips immigrants of their rights and bypasses county oversight.
Inside, Judge Jeffrey Trauger of the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas heard testimony in a four-hour injunction hearing in Make the Road Pennsylvania v. Harran. According to MediaNews Group, the ACLU of Pennsylvania and other groups filed the lawsuit in June, arguing Harran lacked authority to sign the agreement without the consent of county commissioners, who had already voiced opposition.
The judge encouraged both sides to seek compromise as the case proceeds.
Advocates speaking at the rally denounced the deal.
“Sheriff Harran’s decision to unilaterally enter this agreement without the approval of the Bucks County Commissioners is not only reckless, it’s illegal,” said Diana Robinson, co-executive director of Make the Road Pennsylvania, in the article.
Under questioning in court, Harran testified that his office would not conduct raids or check immigration status during routine stops, according to the article. Instead, deputies would run names of people with arrest warrants through federal databases and turn over individuals wanted by ICE.
He acknowledged he could change that policy at any time. Harran also said it would take little time to run a name but conceded that transporting detainees to ICE facilities could require staff and travel hours, according to MediaNews Group.
The hearing also raised concerns about liability and whether the sheriff’s office has the manpower to assume federal immigration duties, given thousands of outstanding local warrants.
Harran defended his actions, stating his “fundamental goal since day one has been to prevent crime.”
Following the session, attorneys for both Bucks County and the ACLU said they were open to negotiations that could narrow the scope of the ICE partnership.
