Narberth council adopts resolution limiting local participation in ICE 287(g) program
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Summary
Narberth Borough Council on Feb. 5 unanimously approved a resolution instructing the borough police not to participate in the federal 287(g) program, while affirming that officers must comply with judicial warrants. Council members framed the measure as narrowly legal and morally important to preserve trust between residents and police.
Narberth Borough Council unanimously approved Resolution 2026-03 on Feb. 5 directing the borough police not to participate in the federal 287(g) program that delegates immigration-enforcement duties to local law enforcement.
Mayor (Speaker 1) introduced the measure, saying the resolution is “narrowly tailored” and aims to make clear that Narberth police “operate to protect our residents and to protect public safety” rather than performing immigration enforcement. He urged residents to call 911 if they observe a federal presence and to record interactions for the public record.
Councilmember Dana Edwards, who moved the measure, framed it as both legally prudent and morally necessary. Edwards told colleagues that the policy would help avoid reallocating limited local resources to federal immigration enforcement and could reduce the borough’s exposure to legal risk if local officers were drawn into unconstitutional federal conduct. “I caught a moral obligation,” Edwards said, arguing the borough should add its “voice to the course of resistance” to abuses she described.
Other council members, including Shane (Speaker 7), said the resolution would preserve trust between residents and local police and thereby improve public safety by ensuring residents are not deterred from calling 911. Council members emphasized the resolution does not prevent local officers from enforcing criminal warrants or from acknowledging judicial warrants presented by federal agents.
Mayor announced the vote as unanimous and the motion carried. The meeting transcript records the result as unanimous; individual roll-call votes were not recorded in the public transcript.
What happens next: The resolution is adopted and will be reflected in borough police policy instructions. The mayor and staff said they had discussed the language with the police chief and the borough solicitor during drafting; no additional procedural steps were announced at the Feb. 5 work session.