Residents press Montgomery County commissioners to adopt welcoming policy amid ICE enforcement concerns
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Summary
Multiple residents told commissioners on Nov. 13 that recent immigration enforcement actions in Montgomery County have created fear and trauma and urged the board to adopt a welcoming resolution limiting local cooperation with ICE; county officials said they will follow up and noted limits on county authority.
At the Nov. 13 Montgomery County Board of Commissioners meeting dozens of residents used public comment to press the board to adopt a welcoming policy and to limit local cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
Steven Heath, a retired police professional from Cheltenham Township, told the board that “all that work is being decimated by the indiscriminate removal operations committed by ICE,” saying aggressive enforcement erodes community trust and makes victims less likely to report crimes. The Presiding Commissioner thanked him and noted county immigrant affairs staff are coordinating with law enforcement partners to protect public safety and community trust.
Multiple speakers gave firsthand accounts they said showed a pattern of enforcement rising near homes, schools and transit stops. Juanita Arube of East Norriton said officers in unmarked vehicles and masked agents had detained people early in the morning and that the effect on families and children was profound. “This is trauma. This is fear,” Arube said.
Other commenters described children witnessing detentions, workers avoiding morning commuter rails, and calls for the county to make a values statement that would tell immigrant neighbors they belong. Supporters and opponents of greater law‑enforcement cooperation also spoke: one former state police officer argued that cooperating with federal authorities is a lawful tool to address criminal conduct.
Commissioners did not take formal action to adopt a county‑wide welcoming ordinance at the meeting. The Presiding Commissioner said the office of immigrant affairs and county staff would follow up with municipal and law enforcement partners, and invited further community engagement on the issue.