Two Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies signed on to help ICE
As the second Trump administration tries to crack down on undocumented immigrants, they’re turning to local agencies to do the work.
But not everyone is on board.
“The Lower Providence Township Police Department does not participate in the federal 287(g) program or any other agreement that authorizes local police officers to act as federal immigration agents,” the statement from Lower Providence, Pennsylvania, reads, in part. “Our officers do not enforce federal immigration law, do not conduct immigration raids, and do not inquire about an individual’s immigration status during routine policing activities.”
Leaders there aren’t the only ones speaking out against cooperating with the federal government’s agents. New Jersey’s Governor Mikie Sherrill has said the agents cannot carry out operations on state land. Bucks County Sheriff Danny Ceisler withdrew his office from collaborating with the federal enforcement arm. Philadelphia’s city council has introduced legislation codifying executive orders banning law enforcement from entering into 287(g) agreements.
However, others aren’t opposed to the agreement and they’re signing on to help ICE. Records show two elected law enforcement officers in the Philadelphia suburbs have entered into agreements with ICE in the last year.
The agreements they signed with ICE allow trained members of law enforcement agencies to act on behalf of ICE. The functions include interrogating people they believe could be in the country without documentation, issuing detainers and executing warrants.
“They can ask those people about their immigration status and that makes them susceptible, the immigrant, to potentially being detained and sent over to immigration, even if it is for a simple traffic violation,” said Ariel Ruiz Soto, a senior policy analyst with Migration Policy Institute.
The 287(g) agreements are part of the Immigration and Nationality Act. There aren’t any other names for the agreements – it is called that because that’s the section of the act. There are three different models – jail enforcement, warrant service and task force. They all authorize agencies to carry out immigration enforcement. More than 1400 law enforcement agencies nationwide have these agreements. As of 2025, DHS secretary Kristi Noem said the agency would help cover the cost of training for the participating jurisdictions.
None of the models are new but the task force model was discontinued in 2012 so the Department of Homeland Security could utilize resources elsewhere. However, as the second Trump administration has buckled down on immigration enforcement, there’s been a rapid expansion of that program.
The NBC10 Investigators looked at ICE records which show no agencies in Delaware or New Jersey have entered any agreements.
In Pennsylvania, 68 agencies have entered into them. All of them were signed in 2025 and most are the task force model. Among those who have entered the agreements are the Lansdowne Constable Jerome Fletcher and Honey Brook Constable David Jones Sr.
Constables are elected law enforcement members who are contracted by the county for different tasks such as transporting people to court or working the polls, so they could come into contact with dozens of people daily.
The NBC10 Investigators wanted to learn more from these constables about why they entered into these agreements.
Fletcher sent an email saying he wasn’t interested in participating in NBC10’s story.
It remains unclear whether Fletcher has acted on behalf of ICE in any capacity or completed necessary training, per the agreement. State records show he hasn’t finished training with Pennsylvania to carry out duties through his role as constable.
Lansdowne Borough leaders said they were under the impression that Fletcher withdrew the application months prior. Records show he entered into it in August and it remains active.
“He is not associated with the governing body of Lansdowne Borough in any capacity,” Jessica Pointer, the Lansdowne Borough Council President told NBC10. “Therefore, this matter is not within the purview of the Lansdowne Borough Council.”
Delaware County officials said they have had issues communicating with Fletcher but they have spoken out against his participation with ICE.
“We don’t need our law enforcement agencies to be at the whims of the federal government,” said Dr. Monica Taylor, a Delaware County Councilmember.
Chester County’s David Jones Sr. – the Honey Brook constable – talked with NBC10 on the phone saying he hasn’t heard from ICE since entering the agreement in October. When asked why he signed up for the program, he hung up and later declined to comment further.
One Pennsylvania participant told us their department made seven arrests on behalf of ICE.
The NBC10 Investigators reached out to ICE spokespeople to learn more about the program, including how many people have been detained, interrogated or deported. They did not respond.
