Judge rules in favor of Bucks sheriff\u2019s agreement with ICE<\/p>\n
Earlier this year, Bucks County Sheriff Fred Harran entered into a 287(g) agreement with ICE<\/a>, which effectively deputizes Bucks local law enforcement to operate as immigration agents for ICE. Local activist organizations objected to the agreement, considering it improper and illegal. So, with the aid of the ACLU of Pennsylvania, the groups filed suit in the Bucks County Court of Common Pleas.<\/p>\n The judge hearing the case, Jeffrey G. Trauger, heard several hearings on the case, finally handing down a ruling supporting Sheriff Harran\u2019s agreement with ICE.<\/p>\n Response from community advocates was swift and unequivocal. In a publicly released statement, Steve Loney, senior supervising attorney for ACLU of Pennsylvania, said, \u201cThis fight is far from over. It\u2019s unfortunate that the judge in this case failed to appreciate what the law clearly states; the sheriff does not have authority to sign onto a 287(g) agreement with ICE. We will appeal this decision and, in the meantime, we will continue to work to hold Sheriff Harran accountable to the rule of law.\u201d<\/p>\n Additionally, Loney\u2019s statement said, \u201cThis agreement was not approved by the elected Bucks County Commissioners. It was initiated and signed unilaterally by Sheriff Fred Harran without public input, without transparency, and without legal authority. This is not just reckless \u2014 it is unlawful. And it is a betrayal of the trust we place in our public officials.\u201d<\/p>\n Dems battle censorship in military schools<\/p>\n One of the earliest salvos the Trump administration hurled in its war against education was the imposition of censorship in Department of Defense schools, which serves to educate children of active duty service members. Under the Trump administration\u2019s directives, DoDEA schools have experienced an unprecedented level of censorship and books bans. More than 600 titles have been removed from circulation, many of which focus on themes of racial and LGBTQ+ identities, gender equality, civil rights history and anti-authoritarian literature.<\/p>\n In response, Congressional Dems have introduced H.R.5527<\/a> in order to restore the right to read in DoD schools. Introduced by Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD), the Stop Censoring Military Families Act will be intended to override Trump\u2019s DoD directives and restore to school library shelves the hundreds of banned books.<\/p>\n Raskin introduced the bill in the House Armed Services, Education and Workforce Committee, and now begins the long, arduous process of becoming a law.<\/p>\n Analysis: PA school boards adopting culture war policies<\/p>\n A recent analysis of dozens of Pennsylvania school boards found one in five of them have adopted culture war policies that censor material, ban books or target LGBTQ+ students.<\/p>\n