CORAOPOLIS, PENNSYLVANIA — January 15, 2026, Coraopolis Borough Council voted 4-3 on Thursday evening to terminate the borough police department’s 287(g) partnership with ICE after intense public comment from roughly 75 residents at a standing-room-only meeting.
The decision ended a formal arrangement that allowed local police to perform some federal immigration enforcement functions under the 287(g) program. The vote came after three new council members joined amid resident backlash.
Police Chief Jason Stewart said the department will still respond to federal requests. He added that he respected the council’s decision and framed the department’s obligations to assist when asked.
“I respect their vote, It’s their decision,”
Stewart also said: “If ICE comes here, we are law enforcement officers. We are obligated to assist them.”
Former Council President Robb Cardimen signed the agreement on December 23, 2025, and the prior council approved it. Stewart told council members that ICE approached him in December with financial incentives tied to the arrangement.
Those incentives included reimbursements for training and overtime, plus one-time equipment funding. Stewart said he took the proposal to elected officials because he did not see it as a decision for the police chief alone.
“It’s not up to me to enter into an agreement on behalf of the borough,”
Ending the partnership removes the formal framework, while Stewart’s comments signaled the department will continue to work with federal authorities when asked. Public comment in the council chambers underscored sharp disagreement over whether immigration enforcement should play any role in day-to-day local policing.
Speakers opposing the agreement argued it would erode trust and deter people from seeking help, while supporters framed the partnership as a public safety measure. Tim Patterson, identified as a nine-year resident and retired United Methodist Church minister, criticized ICE in blunt terms.
Patterson cited national incidents, including the January 7, 2026, killing of Renee Good by an ICE agent in Minneapolis and the nonfatal shooting of two Venezuelans by U.S. Border Patrol in Portland on January 8, as part of his argument against collaborating with federal immigration enforcement.
“To enter into agreement with ICE is to condone ICE’s behavior … It is to become an extension of that behavior and mindset,”
His remarks drew on national incidents as an argument against tying borough policy to the federal agency through a 287(g) partnership. Randon Willard, executive director of the Coraopolis Community Development Corporation, warned council members of economic fallout and described outreach to business and community groups.
On January 5, after consulting Las Palmas grocer representatives and the Pittsburgh Hispanic Development Corporation, Willard said: “Their message was clear: Coraopolis must decide if we want to be a diverse, mixed race, and welcoming community, or one that signals exclusion to Hispanic neighbors and business owners.”
Willard added that agreements like the 287(g), even when implemented with good intentions, create fear within the Hispanic community and lead families and businesses to relocate to more welcoming municipalities. Natalie Bezeck, described as a 12-year resident and a domestic abuse survivor, said she valued local policing while urging the council to keep immigration enforcement separate.
“Coraopolis is a safe community today,”
Bezeck warned that introducing ICE enforcement into everyday local policing lowers perceived safety and increases fear in ordinary public spaces. She linked her opposition to concerns about trust and reporting, saying as a domestic abuse survivor it is important every woman and child feels safe to call the local police.
Supporters of the agreement also spoke at length, arguing that immigration enforcement partnerships align with their views of safety and order in the borough. Teresa McLaughlin, described as a 49-year resident, said she sometimes felt uneasy walking down the street and attributed that feeling to shifts she perceived locally.
Robert Chartier cast his support as a matter of principle, saying he believed in law and order. Ron Boyd said he worried about crime but did not want Coraopolis to face problems he associated with other places, listing Minnesota, Chicago, California and New York as examples.
Three councilors — Rudy Bolea, Gary Flasco, and Charles Spencer — voted to retain the agreement. Council President Mike Harris voted to terminate it and argued that the borough’s basic policing posture would remain unchanged even without the formal 287(g) arrangement.
“In my opinion, a lot of division has happened because of the news, social media and things that have happened nationally. Nothing is going to change. We’re going to respond to whatever calls they are called to and that’s the way it’ll stay,”
The borough’s debate unfolded as nearby jurisdictions have faced similar scrutiny over how 287(g) agreements are adopted and whether residents have a chance to weigh in before they take effect. In neighboring Robinson Township, Police Chief Timothy Westwood signed a 287(g) agreement in July 2025, but it was later removed from ICE’s list after a Public Source inquiry.
Robinson Township solicitor Jack Cambest confirmed in December that no public vote occurred, voiding it. The episode sharpened attention on process — public votes, public notice, and the paper trail behind a policing decision — as residents in Coraopolis pressed their elected officials to reconsider the agreement approved weeks earlier.
Coraopolis has a growing immigrant and Latino population, and speakers tied their arguments to what they want the borough to signal to neighbors, businesses, and families. The council split suggested competing political pressures, with supporters urging closer alignment with immigration enforcement and opponents warning that formal ties to ICE could change how safe people feel when they call police or walk in public spaces.
Stewart’s description of the original pitch from ICE centered on budget pressures that can weigh on smaller departments, including the prospect of reimbursements for training and overtime and one-time equipment funding. His remarks also framed the police chief as a participant brought into discussions by federal outreach, while leaving the final policy call to council members.
With the termination vote complete, the borough’s next steps involve ending the agreement and aligning internal practices with the new policy direction set by the council majority. Residents who packed the meeting signaled they will keep watching what the police department does in practice when ICE makes requests, and what records or future agenda items clarify how cooperation will work without the formal 287(g) partnership.
Coraopolis Borough Council Ends 287(g) Partnership with ICE
The Coraopolis Borough Council narrowly voted to end its formal 287(g) agreement with ICE following significant resident opposition. While the move aims to restore community trust and protect diverse populations, the local police chief maintains that the department will continue to assist federal immigration authorities when asked. This local decision reflects a broader national debate over the role of local police in federal immigration enforcement.
