Public weighs Protect Our Neighbors proposal as commissioners send ordinance for legal review
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Summary
Dozens of residents spoke Wednesday at a Lackawanna County commissioners meeting, sharply divided over a proposed "Protect Our Neighbors" policy that would limit county staff cooperation with ICE; commissioners said the measure remains under solicitor review and expect an update at their March 4 meeting.
At the Lackawanna County commissioners meeting on Feb. 18, dozens of residents filled the public-comment period to urge opposing outcomes on the proposed Protect Our Neighbors ordinance, which would set county rules for how staff respond to requests from Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
Supporters described personal encounters with federal enforcement they said were traumatic. Sarah Balmer of Moscow, Covington Township, who described adopting her daughter from China, said an ICE operation near a theater on Nov. 29, 2025 left her and her daughter shaken: "They condescendingly waved, took my picture, and videoed me," Balmer said, adding that her daughter "thought they were going to shoot her mom." Julie Schumacher Cohen, a Scranton resident, and several faith leaders read statements urging officials to protect constitutional rights and public trust so immigrants will seek basic services without fear.
Opponents warned the county against exceeding its legal authority and urged cooperation with federal law enforcement. Attorney Mike Janetta told the board he did not want Lackawanna County to become a sanctuary jurisdiction and said immigration enforcement is a federal responsibility. Former commissioner Lorraine Cummings and others stressed that locally elected officials such as the district attorney and sheriff are independent and that the county has limited authority to direct their actions.
The public exchange at times grew emotional and pointed. Brenda Johnson, president of the Lackawanna County NAACP, said she had begun carrying her passport because of fear after recent enforcement activity: "I felt traumatized," Johnson said, urging commissioners to adopt protections for neighbors.
One commissioner who spoke at length and who identified himself in the record as the minority commissioner defended the proposed local policy as narrowly procedural: he said it would set a uniform process for county staff to require proper legal paperwork — for example, a judge-signed warrant — before taking action requested by ICE and would not prevent law enforcement from executing criminal warrants. "It does not ban ICE from Lackawanna County," he said, adding that the measure is meant to protect due process and consistent handling across departments.
The board did not vote on the ordinance. Commissioners repeatedly told speakers the proposal remains under review by the county solicitor and outside offices; the presiding commissioner said the law office has been consulted and the board had sought information from the Pennsylvania attorney general's office, the district attorney, and other counties. The board asked the solicitor to provide an update and said it hopes to report back at the March 4 meeting.
The meeting record shows the county balanced legal caution — with repeated references to the limits of local authority and concerns about preemption of federal law — against strong community appeals to adopt protections aimed at preserving trust between immigrant communities and local government. Commissioners also tied the debate to other county priorities discussed at the meeting, including reassessment errors, budget strain, and infrastructure concerns.
Next steps: The commissioners said they will wait for the solicitor's legal analysis and additional information before placing the proposed ordinance on a public agenda for a vote.
