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Upper Darby Township Council voted unanimously Wednesday night to approve a resolution limiting local law enforcement’s collaboration with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The resolution states that the township’s police department will not enter into the 287(g) program with ICE, and that local law enforcement will not “enable ICE-related civil law enforcement.”
Nearly a quarter of Upper Darby residents are foreign-born, according to U.S. Census data. Council President Marion Minick said that many of the township’s immigrant residents are affected by President Donald Trump’s immigration enforcement crackdown.
“Their fear is real. Their trauma is real,” he said. “It would be troubling enough if the local gang were terrorizing our neighborhoods, but in this case, it is our own federal government creating this climate of fear, and in my view, that makes the harm deeper, more personal and far more damaging.”
Several speakers took to the floor during the public comment section, criticizing the resolution and questioning its impact on public safety. Some supported the measure but said they wished it offered stronger protection for immigrant communities.