Residents in Plum had plenty to say Monday as borough council considers a non-cooperation resolution with federal immigration authorities.
Most of the more than a dozen speakers at Plum Council’s discussion meeting were supportive of the resolution, though several residents said they didn’t see the use.
Plum Police, following a directive from Mayor Harry Schlegel issued in early February, are already barred from assisting with immigration operations and transporting or holding suspects for ICE.
Schlegel, who previously said a non-cooperation resolution from council would merely be redundant, said local police would only assist federal agents with traffic or crowd control.
Still, resident Tim Sandstrom said he’d like to see council move forward on the resolution.
He pointed out that Plum could be left liable to lawsuits if it assists agents who abuse their power or make a wrongful arrest.
“If ICE can’t do their job without Plum Borough Police Department, maybe they’re hiring the wrong people,” Sandstrom said.
Zac Zourelias said he has lived in Plum for almost all his life, but his family comes from an ancestor who immigrated to the country illegally.
Zourelias stood outside Plum’s borough building before the meeting, greeting visitors with a sign reading: “Winter is over — no more ICE in Plum.”
“I’m not looking to support in my hometown what’s already got three Americans killed,” he said.
But resident Jim Stricklin said he thinks the resolution would be more or less “irrelevant” if council voted to pass it.
Council President Ryan Delaney said it wouldn’t substantially change any of the directives already issued by the mayor in his memo last month.
Stricklin said he recognized the fear among some in the community, but he supports local and federal officers.
“Law enforcement is my ally,” he said. “Law enforcement is our ally.”
Also an opponent of the resolution, resident Gina Schneiderlochner said it wasn’t the community’s place to hamper officers, whether Plum police or federal immigration agents.
“Plain and simple, if you break into this country and have committed a crime — a crime — you should get arrested,” she said. “Citizens should not interfere with the law enforcement. Let the police do their job. Let ICE do their job.”
Delaney, sporting an American flag cowboy hat and a red-white-and-blue bald eagle blazer, said he expects council to vote on the resolution next Monday.
Monday’s discussions, which were mostly calm, were a good example of residents “engaging in democracy,” he said.
“I thought it was awesome,” Delaney told TribLive after the meeting. “I’m so proud of my community.”
According to Councilman Ray Rall, the resolution wouldn’t change any of the directives already issued by the mayor, but it would offer a “uniform” policy for the borough.
The resolution would also prohibit borough administration, public works and others from cooperating with immigration officials, he said.
The policy, Delaney said, would likely be similar to one recently passed by neighboring Oakmont.
Elected last November, Delaney and Rall are part of a four-man Democratic slate that swept aside the previous all-Republican council.
That group of four Democrats also included councilman Phoebus Apollo.
Apollo said he was glad to see residents actually come to a meeting to “hear each other out” instead of arguing online.
Oakmont’s decision last month came after one of its residents, Jose Flores, was detained by ICE in late January and later released.
That’s in addition to several other local governments that have said they won’t cooperate with immigration agents, including McCandless, Bellevue and Swissvale. Residents in Fox Chapel have asked their local officials to consider an agreement.
Across the river in Springdale, however, officials have inked a 287(g) agreement to work with ICE, resulting in the detainment of Peru-born resident Randy Cordova-Flores last month.
Plum was the scene of its own ICE detainment this month when Indian-born Scott resident Vishavdeep Singh was arrested after police said he attempted to flee from a hearing at District Judge Mike Doyle’s courtroom.
In November, Singh was charged with felony aggravated assault in Oakmont after, police say, he pointed what turned out to be an airsoft gun at fellow drivers as he sped through the borough. His immigration status remains unclear.
Schlegel said Monday that ICE had previously been present in Plum, though he didn’t offer any details of operations.
Plum’s voting meeting is set for 7 p.m. Monday, March 9.