Residents spoke Wednesday, Feb. 11, at the Butler County commissioners meeting for and against an agreement Sheriff Mike Slupe signed in July to assist the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s efforts apprehending undocumented and illegal immigrants.

Nine people asked the commissioners to rescind the agreement or spoke against ICE’s actions, and six people said they support Slupe and the agreement.

Leslie Osche, chairman of the board of commissioners, told the residents she hopes they speak with Slupe, who signed the memorandum of understanding with ICE.

Responding to a woman from Cranberry Township who asked about the agreement, Commissioner Kim Geyer said the sheriff and the other county row officers are elected independently, and the commissioners have no authority over them.

“We have no jurisdiction or authority over those row offices,” Geyer said.

Osche said the commissioners are responsible for the budgets and contact negotiations for the row offices.

Commissioner Kevin Boozel said the matter is the subject of litigation. After the meeting, he explained that the County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania has filed a court brief opposing all row officers’ authority to sign contracts outside of a public meeting because county commissioners have budgetary authority. He said the association filed an amicus brief in the court case.

An amicus, or friend of the court, brief is filed by a person or group who is not a party in a court case, but has a strong interest in the matter before the court.

Slupe, who was contacted after the meeting, said he has spoken with residents on both sides of the agreement issue.

“I respect everyone’s opinion for and against, and for those against, we’re going to disagree, and that’s OK,” Slupe said. “I have been in law enforcement for almost 40 years.

“I feel that what we are doing working with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is the right thing to do. I have been and always will be a law-and-order law enforcement officer.”

Many of the residents who spoke against the agreement and ICE had also spoken out at the commissioners’ Jan. 28 meeting.

Brittney Scaccia, of Summit Township, Elisabeth Koromaus, of Cranberry Township, and Krista Washkau, of Butler, reiterated their opposition to the agreement and ICE. They were joined by John Bowman, of Jackson Township, Emily Johnston, of Butler Township, and several others.

Rick Goeke, of Butler Township, asked, “How can we help this country without harming our people?”

He said he is concerned about people’s Fourth and Fifth Amendment rights being violated across the country. He urged commissioners to “reexamine what’s going on here in Butler County.”

Chaz Tanner, of Butler, said he has talked to Slupe about the agreement, and said the county could be liable for costs associated with deputies assisting ICE.

Barbara Davidson, of Center Township, thanked Slupe, saying he’s standing up for law and order. She blamed immigration problems on former President Joe Biden’s administration.

Voters gave President Donald Trump an “election mandate” for mass deportation, she said.

Phil Kriley, of Renfrew, said Slupe agreed to cooperate and assist ICE as needed, but that is not an invitation to ICE. He said the agreement means Butler County is not a sanctuary county.

Jim Powers, of Butler, said he supports Slupe, and the county should cooperate with ICE.

Nicholas Claypoole, of Clay Township, said “unfettered illegal immigration” took place for too long, and asked commissioners to prepare an agreement supporting ICE operations in the county.

A woman from Clay Township said people wishing to immigrate to the United States should obtain legal citizenship. She said her daughter-in-law and a grandson were born in other countries, but became U.S. citizens.

Michael Scott, of Cranberry Township, commended Slupe for signing the agreement. He said he supports ICE’s efforts to apprehend illegal immigrants.

The amicus brief was filed last year in a Bucks County Common Pleas Court suit by the American Civil Liberties Union against then-Sheriff Frederick Harran for signing an agreement to assist ICE.

But the brief is about budgetary and resource allocation, and the separation of powers between row offices and county commissioners, said Kyle Kopko, executive director of the county commissioners association, after being contacted after the commissioners’ meeting.

Harran lost his reelection bid in November, and his successor withdrew the office from the agreement.

Kopko said the association isn’t taking a position on whether counties or other entities should enter into agreements with ICE. He said those agreements are internal issues among county governments.

“It’s really about government structural issues. Anytime money is involved, the county commissioners should weigh in,” Kopko said about the court filing.

Though the Bucks County case is no longer active, he said the brief remains relevant in similar cases involving row officers’ authority to sign agreements involving county funds.

“It comes up with some regularity. It’s been ongoing in various forms,” Kopko said. “CCAP just wants to make sure we’re being good stewards of tax dollars and public resources.”