(The Center Square) – Nominated leaders for Pittsburgh’s public safety and police departments say they don’t “have an interest in immigration enforcement” as violent clashes between ICE and protestors break out across the country.
Jason Lando, acting chief of the Pittsburgh Bureau of Police, told City Council during a public interview on Wednesday that officers will only respond to scenes with federal agents during an emergency – not for simpler operations, like a transport.
“I just want to be very cautious about not putting police officers in a situation where they could be charged or investigated or held accountable by the federal government because they’re refusing to respond in a critical incident,” he said. “The only time that Pittsburgh police would ever go is if someone else is yelling for us in an emergency, so we would go to assess the situation and make sure no one was hurt – and that’s it.”
Sheldon Williams, tapped by Mayor Corey O’Connor to lead the Department of Public Safety, said he “endorses” and “embraces” Lando’s comments.
“Mayor O’Connor has been very clear that he wants a very welcoming city and that we will not collaborate or coordinate any efforts with ICE or these federal law enforcement officers, and you will not get an edict from that would change from that,” he said.
During City Council’s Tuesday meeting, a handful of residents told officials that Lando should answer questions about how the bureau and its roughly 750 officers will interfere with ICE raids after O’Connor himself said he wouldn’t cooperate with the agency.
“How will the chief of police enforce the law if the people breaking the law are wearing vests that say immigration or border patrol?” asked Ben Case, a resident of Fineview. “And how do they advise the residents of Pittsburgh to respond if they are being attacked by people who are wearing vests that say immigration or border patrol?
“If armed or masked men kicked open my door and invaded my home, should I call the police? And if I do, will they respond, will they do anything?” he added.
Lando’s tenure with the bureau stretches back to 2006, though he most recently led Zone 5 in the city’s northeastern corner, home to the Squirrel Hill neighborhood and the Tree of Life Synagogue where 11 people were gunned down in 2018.
“I want everyone in the city of Pittsburgh to feel comfortable picking up the phone to call 911 if they need the police,” Lando said Wednesday. “I don’t ever want to hear about a situation where someone didn’t call for help because they were so worried that the first thing Pittsburgh police would ask when they got there was immigration status.”
On Tuesday, City Council voted unanimously to press U.S. Sens. Dave McCormick and John Fetterman to reconsider support for a $10 billion federal appropriation to ICE, accusing the agency of “lawless, cruel and unconstitutional” behavior.
More than 1,000 people in Pittsburgh were taken into ICE custody last year, according to the council.
It’s already a divisive issue in the state. The commonwealth’s two largest metropolitan areas, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia, have policies limiting cooperation with ICE and protecting immigrant residents. Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker has been tight-lipped on criticism of the Trump administration.
Meanwhile, 51 different local law enforcement agencies within Pennsylvania, out of roughly 1,000, have signed agreements partnering with ICE through its 287(g) program.
Lawmakers on both sides of aisle have proffered legislation to prevent or demand law enforcement cooperation with the agency, though none have bipartisan support.
