Pennsylvania police agreements with ICE nearly doubled since April. Philadelphia's laws bar the city from joining

The number of Pennsylvania law enforcement agencies with formal agreements to help U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement nearly doubled in six months, to 146 from 78 in April, the Inquirer reported Thursday. Philadelphia isn't among them.

The agreements, known as 287(g) after the section of federal law that allows them, let local officers help identify and arrest immigrants for possible deportation. For Philadelphia residents, the question is what local police and city agencies can and can't do. In the city, that's set partly by laws Council passed this spring.

What the Inquirer found

According to the Inquirer's analysis:

• All but three of the 146 Pennsylvania agreements use the "task force" model, the broadest of the three types.
• 1,342 people have been arrested in Pennsylvania under the program since the first arrest in July 2025. That's about 13% of the 10,163 ICE arrests in the state in that time.
• Recent signers include district attorneys' offices in Bedford, Armstrong and McKean counties and police departments in places such as Butler Township, Pottsville and Lehigh Township.
• ICE offers incentives including stipends, equipment and reimbursements.
• New Jersey barred these agreements by law as of March 2026. Pennsylvania has no similar restriction.

Nationally, the Department of Homeland Security reports 2,698 agreements as of Oct. 20. A DHS statement to the paper said Pennsylvania had "zero 287(g) partnerships with ICE" under the previous administration, and the administration says the program strengthens enforcement. Some agencies, including those in Philadelphia, avoid the agreements, citing concerns that undocumented victims and witnesses won't come forward, the Inquirer reported.

What our records add

On April 23, Council passed six bills on immigration enforcement and the city (session). Here is each, with its vote:

| Bill | Sponsor | What it does | Vote | |---|---|---|---| | 260059 | Kendra Brooks | Bars city participation in agreements or activities furthering immigration enforcement; bars city contracts with entities that do business with immigration enforcement authorities; requires annual reporting | 15-1 | | 260061 | Brooks | Prohibits immigration enforcement on city property and facilities and in the public right-of-way | 15-1 | | 260060 | Brooks | Bars law enforcement officers from concealing their identity; requires visible badges | 14-2 | | 260056 | Rue Landau | Limits city collection and use of citizenship and immigration status information | 15-1 | | 260057 | Landau | Limits how the city handles personal information for immigration enforcement; adds reporting | 15-1 | | 260058 | Landau | Adds citizenship and immigration status to the Fair Practices Ordinance's anti-discrimination protections | 16-0 |

• Who voted no. 10th District Councilmember Brian J. O'Neill cast the no vote on five of the bills. 6th District Councilmember Mike Driscoll joined him on the identification bill, 260060. Majority Leader Katherine Gilmore Richardson is recorded absent on all six.
• Wide sponsorship. Each bill listed at least 14 sponsors, including Council President Kenyatta Johnson.
• Fast track. All six were introduced Jan. 29, referred March 5, and passed April 23 after Council suspended its rules on April 16 to move them along.
• The mayor. Mayor Cherelle L. Parker signed five on May 7. For Bill 260060, our record shows "No Action Taken" by the mayor, and the bill is listed in final status.

According to their titles, the bills set limits on the city, its employees, contractors and funding recipients. A city ordinance doesn't change federal immigration law. The Legistar records have the full language.

What's next

• With Democrats set to control the state House, Senate and governor's office in January (our story), whether Pennsylvania follows New Jersey on 287(g) agreements would be up to the legislature. We found no reporting that a bill has been scheduled.
• Bill 260059 requires annual reporting of the city's immigration-related activities, and Bill 260057 adds its own reporting requirements. We'll link the first reports when they're posted.