Lackawanna County commissioners table enforcement-policy proposal after hours of public comment
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Summary
After more than an hour of public testimony urging stronger protections for immigrants, the Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners voted to table a proposed county policy on interactions with federal, state and local enforcement officials so it can be revised and strengthened.
The Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners on April 1 moved to table a newly posted county policy that would govern how county employees respond to inquiries from federal, state and local enforcement officials after lengthy public comment urging stronger protections for immigrants.
Supporters of a stronger ordinance filled the meeting room and told the commissioners the policy posted to the agenda Wednesday offered insufficient safeguards. "This policy does not protect our neighbors," said Jessica McGuigan, a licensed counselor who stood at the podium during public comment. "It protects the county from accountability while building a more orderly process for cooperation with ICE." Several other speakers echoed that the version posted shortly before the meeting was a weaker draft than previously circulated proposals.
County officials defended the decision to bring the new policy forward while allowing for future amendments. The chair said the policy would restrict employees from speaking to law-enforcement agents without first notifying counsel, and noted amendments could be added at any time. Commissioner (speaker 29), who introduced a separate Protect Our Neighbors ordinance earlier this year, said he supported stronger, clearer language and moved to table the posted policy so the board could strengthen it; the motion passed by voice vote.
Legal and privacy concerns were repeatedly raised. Sarah Ballmer (Covington Township) said the draft contradicts HIPAA protections because it instructs employees to maintain confidentiality while also permitting disclosure of immigration status in certain circumstances. Beth Perry (Clarks Summit) warned of litigation risks where counties voluntarily cooperate with ICE, citing a string of rulings and settlements she said had reached into the tens of millions nationally.
Public commenters and some commissioners urged the board to explicitly prohibit county agencies from entering 287(g) agreements and to require judicial warrants rather than administrative detainers before honoring holds. "If something goes wrong, if someone's harmed, they cannot point to this policy and say, 'you failed me'," McGuigan said, urging the board to table the item and return to the ordinance that had teeth.
After deliberation, a motion to table the policy for amendment carried. Commissioners said they will work with legal experts and community stakeholders to refine the language and consider whether to incorporate elements of the Protect Our Neighbors ordinance. Commissioner (speaker 29) asked county solicitor Paul Walker for a legal opinion on how the county can assert its authority and what statutory limits exist.
What happens next: The board did not adopt the policy; commissioners agreed the item will be revised and can be amended or reintroduced at a future meeting. Several speakers asked for clear, written assurances limiting collection of immigration-status data and banning voluntary detention agreements; commissioners said those requests would inform forthcoming changes.
Sources: Public testimony and commissioners' discussion at the April 1, 2026 meeting of the Board of Commissioners of Lackawanna County.
