Issue
County Council's laws limiting cooperation with immigration enforcement and unmasking federal agents.
County Council
Federal law blocks most of a county bill to bar officers from hiding their identity, council's lawyer said May 14. Still, he said it could likely be enforced with county police. The chief clerk said the two models for the bill, in Philadelphia and California, no longer stand. So a committee held the bill to let its sponsor amend it to fit the county's authority.
County Council
Officers, including federal agents, couldn't wear masks or hide badges on duty in Allegheny County under a proposed law. Introduced April 14, it would punish each violation with a fine up to $500 or up to 90 days in jail. Undercover officers and those wearing medical masks would be exempt. For now, council has referred it to the public safety committee.
County Council
On March 10, Allegheny County Council voted to bar county officials from cooperating with federal immigration enforcement without a judicial warrant. It passed 11 to 3. The council president, whose son received a death threat that morning, said he abstained so threats couldn't be seen as a factor. From there, the ordinance went to the county executive for her signature.
County Council
Residents have told Allegheny County Council that county officers have been turning immigrants over to ICE. On March 2, the public safety committee voted to advance a bill limiting county cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. Three members opposed it, and one warned the county could lose federal funding. Next, the full council could vote as early as March 10.
County Council
Seventy people signed up to speak at Allegheny County Council's Feb. 24 meeting. As it began, nine of 15 members voted to cut each speaker's time from three minutes to 90 seconds. Comments were overwhelmingly against county cooperation with federal immigration enforcement. So far, council hasn't said whether it'll do the same on March 10.
County Council
Allegheny County serves residents regardless of immigration status, but that practice isn't written into county law. Six county council members have now proposed an ordinance to codify it. It would also bar county police and workers from helping federal immigration agents without a federal court order. For now, the bill has gone to the public safety committee.