Harrisburg City Council (file photo).
As reports of ICE sightings on social media and through word-of-mouth ramp up in the region, local officials have weighed in.
In the past several days, online posts and public comments during city meetings have highlighted a growing concern over federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents potentially in the Harrisburg region.
During public comment at Harrisburg City Council’s Tuesday night meeting, several community members said they’d heard that ICE was in the area and implored council to take action to protect residents.
When reached by TheBurg, Gloria Vazquez Merrick, director of the city’s Latino Hispanic American Community Center (LHACC), said that she has heard the same concerns from the center’s neighbors.
“This is not a new thing for us to have ICE around,” Vazquez Merrick said.
However, she added that she does believe there has been an increase in ICE agents in the neighborhood around the center recently.
Harrisburg Police Bureau Deputy Chief Kenny Young said that he does not know if there has been an increase in the federal agents’ activity in the city. The bureau, he said, does not partner with ICE and is not alerted by the federal government when they’re in Harrisburg. No patrol officers have brought any information about ICE presence to his attention, he said.
“They’re not looking to us for information, and we are not helping them in that way,” he said.
At Tuesday’s meeting, council member Jocelyn Rawls asked about the relationship between Harrisburg and ICE. According to City Solicitor Neil Grover, there was a written agreement between the police bureau and customs enforcement in the past, related to people selling “knock-off” products, but that has expired and there has been no formal agreement since.
Young said that the bureau will only interact with ICE agents if officers are called to a scene to assist with safety issues and help to “keep the peace and keep everybody safe.”
Rawls also asked Grover if there was anything that council could do to show support for city residents. Grover replied that council has the ability to draft a resolution showing support for people despite immigration status, but advised that there may be pushback.
“I cannot tell you, under the current federal atmosphere, whether that would have a repercussion or not,” Grover said.
When reached by phone Thursday, Rawls said that she wants to draft a policy that would create clear parameters against city police assisting ICE. Rawls cited Lancaster’s 2024 legislation, which limited police from working with ICE and sharing information, as a model.
“We need this now,” she said. “It’s scary right now.”
Rawls said that she hopes to make progress on legislation over the next few weeks.
Vazquez Merrick said that LHACC is trying to inform people about their rights and is encouraging immigrants to carry documentation on them in case they need to present it.
She has also seen an increase in the number of people, who are here on visas or other legal avenues, requesting help with obtaining citizenship. On the other hand, she’s seen others, disillusioned by the challenges they’re facing and by the national discourse, deciding to return to their home countries.
Vazquez Merrick noted that LHACC’s main focus is assisting people with basic needs, such as with groceries and job placements. She said that they serve anyone and do not ask about their citizenship status.
“We are trying to do what we can,” she said.
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