ICE agreement sparks packed meeting and legal dispute among commissioners.

More than 80 residents attended the February meeting of the Westmoreland County Board of Commissioners as nearly 20 speakers provided comments. Most of the comments were about Sheriff James Albert’s agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) under the federal 287(g) program which allows local police agencies to enforce federal immigration laws. 

Commissioners said they did not approve the arrangement. Commissioner Ted Kopas questioned whether the agreement is legally valid. 

According to ICE, the “jail enforcement model” agreement allows deputies to identify and process individuals with criminal or pending criminal charges who may be subject to removal under federal immigration law while housed in the county prison. ICE pays for training and information technology to access federal immigration records. Westmoreland County pays for everything else, from salaries to printer toner to handcuffs. 

Kopas said he learned of the agreement only recently and, after consulting with county legal staff, believes it is invalid because only the board of commissioners has authority to enter contracts on behalf of the county. 

“The contract doesn’t exist. The only contracting authority lies with the county commissioners,” Kopas said, adding that agreements must be approved at a duly advertised public meeting. Sheriff Albert has argued that because no money is exchanged directly between his office and ICE, public notice and commissioner approval was not required.

Kopas asked the county solicitor to draft a memo formally objecting to the agreement. As of the meeting, he was the only commissioner to sign it. Commissioner Douglas Chew said he planned to review the two-page memo, prompting Kopas to respond that it had been circulating for more than a week and was “not complicated.”

The draft memo says that committing county resources to activities outside court-related duties could expose the county to legal liability and misuse taxpayer-funded equipment. Under Pennsylvania law, sheriffs are officers of the courts with more limited authority than municipal police departments. The memo ended with , “the board does not intend to permit county tax dollars to be used to substitute sheriff's deputies for agents that should be paid for by the Department of Homeland Security who is conducting the activities.”

Commissioner Sean Kertes emphasized that row officers (such as the sheriff) and commissioners serve distinct roles while stressing the importance of maintaining cooperation with the sheriff’s office on mandated responsibilities such as prisoner transportation. Sheriff Albert is separately appealing a long-standing court order requiring deputies to transport incarcerated individuals to preliminary hearings, arguing the responsibility strains his office’s resources.

Residents said they worried that helping in federal immigration enforcement could divert county resources from local priorities. They also warned county officials about potential long-term impacts on families, community trust, and the reputation of local law enforcement. Speakers also urged officials to consider broader social consequences.

Retired federal law enforcement officer Sakura Okuri from Hempfield Township described the agreement as “a solution in search of a problem,” arguing it could strain already limited resources and cause lasting harm beyond any short-term enforcement outcomes. Okuri told commissioners he still feels emotional trauma from past participation in immigration enforcement operations. 

The agreement was signed in Oct. 2025 and will remain in effect until the Westmoreland County Sheriff or ICE terminates or suspends it.