Federal officials are looking for office space in Pittsburgh for unspecified law enforcement activities, which national outlets report will be filled by ICE.\u00a0<\/p>\n
A lease proposal<\/a> filed last month by the U.S. General Services Administration indicates federal officials are seeking additional office spaces in Pittsburgh. NPR<\/a> and Washington Post<\/a> reported last month that the proposal is part of ICE\u2019s effort to procure office space in 19 U.S. cities via the General Services Administration. ICE already has one office in Pittsburgh.<\/p>\n The proposal seeks a 10-year lease for an office that \u201csupports administrative operations for law enforcement\u201d and can fit 70 workers.<\/p>\n Current Mayor Ed Gainey provided a comment on the lease.<\/p>\n \u201cAs we understand it, the City is included on a list of 19 cities in which the General Services Administration is seeking proposals for federal office space beginning in 2026,\u201d Gainey said. \u201cAt this time, we are not in a position to speculate on which agency may ultimately occupy the space.\u201d<\/p>\n In the Pittsburgh mayoral debate<\/a> earlier this month favored Democratic candidate Corey O\u2019Connor said he \u201cwill not partner with organizations like ICE.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n When asked if he would partner with ICE, Republican candidate Tony Moreno said local enforcement is required to operate with federal officials.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cCity police officers are by rule ordered to [respond] when somebody from the federal government has a legal reason to be here,\u201d Moreno said.<\/p>\n Immigrants account for 4%<\/a> of Pittsburgh\u2019s population and about 16% of the population<\/a> in the country\u2019s 100 largest metro areas.\u00a0<\/p>\n Fears of ICE<\/a> among the Latino community have become widespread under the Trump administration, particularly after<\/a> the president began deploying the National Guard over the summer in cities with high immigrant populations such as Los Angeles<\/a> and Chicago<\/a>. In Pittsburgh, there has been a 267% increase <\/a>in ICE arrests<\/a> since 2024.<\/p>\n Democratic Sen. Jay Costa commented on the potential for an increased ICE presence.<\/p>\n \u201cI have seen the rise in reports of rogue ICE agents harassing peaceful protesters, arresting lawful residents and evading accountability by hiding their faces and badge numbers,\u201d Costa said. \u201cI harbor deep concerns about an increased ICE presence in Pittsburgh and will be closely monitoring the situation.\u201d<\/p>\n ICE has recently been detaining immigrants at their court hearings<\/a>. Joseph Murphy, an immigration attorney at Allegheny Immigration Group, said a recent client who committed a traffic violation was pulled over and felt very fearful for his court date.<\/p>\n \u201cThe mood is terror right now,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cThis guy broke down in tears. He called me several times, way more times than a normal traffic ticket client would, and needed some reassurance.\u201d<\/p>\n Murphy said he believes if the lease proposals are for ICE, the offices will likely host its Enforcement and Removal Operations division, which manages identification, arrest, detention and removal of undocumented immigrants.\u00a0<\/p>\n