Residents press Lackawanna County to adopt ‘Protect Our Neighbors’ limits on ICE cooperation

Dozens of residents urged the Lackawanna County Board of Commissioners on March 18 to put a proposed Protect Our Neighbors ordinance — which would limit county cooperation with Immigration and Customs Enforcement — on the agenda for a public vote.

Sarah Balmer, a Covington Township resident, said the proposal is a matter of safety for her family and thanked commissioners who have engaged with the issue; she asked for a clearer timeline, more public hearings and evening meetings so working residents can attend. “I would ask that all commissioners work together to make whatever changes are needed so that this process can move forward,” Balmer said.

Other speakers described personal encounters or presented moral and legal arguments in favor of constraints on local cooperation with ICE. Will Cohen, a University of Scranton faculty member speaking on behalf of a letter from Bishop Mark Cyz, framed the debate as both moral and legal, urging the board to consider the human impact of federal enforcement actions. “An unjust immigration system that leads to deadly outcomes is destructive of our shared humanity,” Cohen said.

Supporters repeatedly requested that the board place the ordinance on the April 1 agenda and hold additional public hearings. University of Scranton student leaders and longtime county residents asked commissioners to adopt clear, enforceable rules rather than internal guidance they said could leave implementation to individual interpretation. “This kind of complacency is poison to a democracy,” Grace Lex, president of a local College Democrats chapter, said in urging action.

Commissioners acknowledged the public pressure but signaled differing approaches. One commissioner said an internal policy memo circulated by a colleague provides useful employee guidance but does not create the enforceable boundaries advocates seek; that commissioner said they prefer a formal ordinance and urged the Protect Our Neighbors measure be scheduled for future consideration. Another commissioner said the board must ensure any measure is legally enforceable and noted that some county offices are independently elected, which may limit the county’s authority over those offices.

The meeting produced no formal vote on the ordinance. Several residents asked the commission to make the debate public, host evening hearings, and clarify whether the commission can limit cooperation by independently elected officials such as the sheriff. Commissioners said they would continue reviewing the solicitor’s memo, consult legal counsel and consider next steps, including placing the matter on a future agenda.

What happens next: Commissioners said the matter remains under review and that the Protect Our Neighbors proposal could return for further public comment and a potential vote at the April 1 meeting.