Advocate Rally Sends Message That 287(G) Agreements Put Bucks County Residents at Risk

Contact: Abby English, abigail.english@maketheroadpa.org, 814-386-8420
Cambriae W. Lee, media@aclupa.org, 215-671-6832

Bucks County, Pa. — Community advocates rallied today outside the Bucks County courthouse preceding a preliminary injunction hearing challenging Sheriff Fred Harran's illegal decision to enter a 287(g) agreement with federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The lawsuit, Make the Road Pennsylvania, et al. v. Harran, brought by the ACLU of Pennsylvania and the Community Justice Project, argues the sheriff acted unilaterally by entering the agreement without county approval, which is against the law.

Advocate leaders at the morning rally expressed their concerns:

"Every single person has a right to live safely, but 287(g) agreements like this one do the opposite. They spread fear, erode trust between communities and their government, and drive people into the shadows. So let’s talk about what this is really about: It’s about expanding the tentacles of Washington, D.C., into every corner of our country and our communities. It’s about giving some people free rein to target, profile, and arrest anyone they deem a threat. If today it’s immigrants, tomorrow it’s you," stated Diana Robinson, co-executive director of Make the Road Pennsylvania.

"The Welcome Project PA stands in solidarity with immigrant communities in Bucks County and beyond, affirming that our communities are safer and better when immigrant communities have access to safe due process and legal assistance,” said Josh Blakesley, executive director of The Welcome Project PA. “This program divides our communities and causes more fear and uncertainty. Residents of Bucks County do not want this, and neither do we!”

"The brunt of these 287(g) agreements is always felt by Black and brown communities, who become the targets of the unlawful racial profiling and harassment they manufacture. Families are in fear, worrying that their loved ones may not return home when they leave — no one should live like that. All Bucks County residents deserve to be treated with humanity and dignity. And, their taxpayer dollars should be spent on vital services, not tearing families apart in order to carry out the federal administration's destructive deportation plan against our immigrant neighbors,” said Danitra Sherman, deputy advocacy and policy director for the ACLU of Pennsylvania.

Research shows 287(g) agreements waste taxpayer dollars and are a detriment to public safety.

Learn more at aclupa.org/SheriffHarran.