On September 16, a preliminary hearing took place at the Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown, PA, challenging what plaintiffs call an unlawful decision by Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran to enter into a federal immigration enforcement agreement without proper authorization.
The lawsuit, Make the Road Pennsylvania, et al. v. Harran, was filed by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Pennsylvania and the Community Justice Project. The legal action alleges that Sheriff Harran acted unilaterally in signing a 287(g) agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), bypassing the required approval from county officials—an act the plaintiffs argue violates state law.
What is the 287(g) Agreement?
The 287(g) program, part of the Immigration and Nationality Act, allows ICE to delegate certain immigration enforcement powers to state and local law enforcement agencies. Through a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), local officers receive training from ICE and are authorized to identify, detain, and initiate removal proceedings against undocumented immigrants.
Before the court proceedings, immigrant rights advocates held a press conference to voice their concerns.
“Everyone deserves to live in safety, but agreements like 287(g) do the opposite—they spread fear, erode trust between communities and their government, and push people into the shadows,” said Diana Robinson, Co-Executive Director of Make the Road Pennsylvania. “This is about expanding Washington, D.C.’s reach into our communities and giving some people free rein to racially profile and arrest anyone they deem a threat. Today it’s immigrants—tomorrow it could be you.”
Josh Blakesley, Executive Director of The Welcome Project PA, added, “This program divides our communities and creates fear and uncertainty. Bucks County residents don’t want this, and neither do we. Our communities are safer and stronger when immigrants have access to due process and legal support.”
Danitra Sherman, Deputy Director of Advocacy and Policy at ACLU of Pennsylvania, emphasized the racial impact of such agreements: “The burden of 287(g) agreements is always felt by Black and Brown communities, who become targets of illegal racial profiling and harassment. Families live in fear that their loved ones won’t return home. No one should live like that. Bucks County residents deserve to be treated with dignity and respect, and their tax dollars should go toward vital services—not tearing families apart to fulfill a destructive federal deportation agenda.”
The preliminary hearing is scheduled to continue on Friday, September 19 at the Bucks County Courthouse.