ISSUES

I oppose the I.C.E. detention facility planned for the warehouse outside of Williamsport along with all the immoral, inhumane, and illegal actions being carried out by DHS, ICE & CBP across our country. I oppose the Resolution supporting ICE and DHS passed by our current county commissioners and their behind-the-scenes collusion to gain federal dollars in exchange for their willingness to look the other way.

Along with the moral and legal reasons to oppose the facility there are also the practical concerns about the impact on local ecology and on our water, sewer, and transportation infrastructure.

I support a strong border, sensible immigration policies, and law enforcement that respects the law, constitutional rights, and human dignity. Federal agents should meet the same high standards that our local law enforcement officers uphold every day.

I support the goal to remove the “worst of the worst” but that’s not what’s happening now. Do we feel safer because DHS has removed a local nail salon owner? Let’s find, arrest, convict, imprison, and deport the violent criminals. But don’t hold all the undocumented people responsible for the acts of the violent criminals.

I support a strong border with an efficient legal path to entry. I support a strict legal path to citizenship or legal worker status for those already in the country. Most undocumented immigrants currently have jobs, pay taxes, and are not burdens.

Washington County Commissioners don’t control the border, enact immigration laws, or control the actions of federal agents. However, they can decide how our county interacts with the federal agencies pushing to build the I.C.E. detention center and the state agencies working to oppose it. And they can decide whether to continue ignoring the abuses being carried out by DHS, ICE, and CBP or to at least acknowledge them and position our county on the right side of history.Description text goes here