Montgomery County’s top prosecutor and local police chiefs are seeking to clarify how immigration enforcement is handled at the county level amid increased national attention on U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations, according to an announcement.
In a joint statement released this week, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and the Montgomery County Police Chiefs Association outlined the role and limits of local law enforcement when it comes to civil immigration matters.
The statement clarifies that Montgomery County law enforcement agencies do not enforce civil immigration orders. Officials emphasized that any enforceable warrant must be signed by a judge and that no police department within Montgomery County has entered into a 287(g) agreement with ICE, which would authorize local officers to perform certain federal immigration enforcement functions.
The joint message also addressed broader concerns about public safety and accountability. Officials stated that in the event of any fatal shooting or use-of-force incident occurring within Montgomery County, local detectives would conduct a full and independent investigation regardless of whether the incident involves local, state, or federal agencies.
The statement was signed by District Attorney Kevin R. Steele and Patrick Molloy, Chief of the Abington Township Police Department and president of the Montgomery County Police Chiefs Association.
