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State College residents press council on ICE policies; council reiterates it does not assist ICE
Summary
During public hour residents urged stronger local protections from ICE and described alleged March incidents; council president said borough policy is not to enforce federal immigration law and that staff found no evidence of police cooperation with ICE.
Public commenters at State College Borough Council's April 20 meeting pressed the council to adopt stronger local protections related to Immigration and Customs Enforcement activities and raised specific concerns about a March 25 incident.
Nicholas Dudek, a State College resident, urged the borough to act beyond symbolic statements and to consider "sensitive location" protections and limits on law-enforcement access to ICE data without a warrant. "Nobody should have to worry about going to school or going to a court hearing ... without the fear that they might be abducted," Dudek said.
Tracy Sprouse, a representative of the Centre County Rapid Response Network, asked council to clarify what the borough means by "collaboration" with ICE and said witnesses reported State College police were at the March 25 scene. "If an ordinance is passed, people would feel more safe," Sprouse said.
In response, the council president restated borough policy: "We do not enforce immigration law. We do not aid ICE." He said borough staff had been asked whether State College Police had participated in ICE activities and that staff reported no evidence of that. The president invited anyone with evidence to provide it for review.
Council members and staff did not vote on any new ordinance at the meeting. The remarks prompted discussion about where complainants might take such evidence and which state or federal officials have authority over immigration enforcement.
The council continued afterward with other business, including the referral to the planning commission of the Addison Court zoning amendment.
The public-comment period for the previously advertised consolidated-plan amendment (CDBG/HOME) also took place earlier in the meeting; staff said the public comment period was advertised March 18 and that comments were being accepted through April 17 as part of normal HUD-required procedures.
