District Attorney Heather Adams says participation is limited, focused on child safety, and not immigration enforcement.
LANCASTER, PA – Lancaster County District Attorney Heather Adams issued a detailed statement clarifying her office’s participation in a 287(g) Program agreement with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), following public concern about its scope and impact on local communities.
Key Points
- The Lancaster County DA’s Office has one detective assigned to the ICE 287(g) Program
- The program’s focus has included safety checks on unaccompanied immigrant minors
- DA Heather Adams emphasized no immigration “sweeps” or traffic stops are conducted under the agreement
Agreement aims to support federal coordination, not conduct immigration raids
Signed in September 2025, the 287(g) agreement allows trained local officers to perform limited immigration-related duties under ICE supervision. Adams explained that one detective from the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office, already a member of the FBI’s Violent Crimes Task Force, underwent 40 hours of online training for participation.
According to the statement, the detective’s activities have been minimal and consistent with normal investigative duties. Adams stressed, “No one in our office is conducting immigration ‘sweeps’ or stopping cars as part of our 287(g) agreement to assist in immigration enforcement.”
Focus on unaccompanied minors and interagency coordination
The assigned detective recently assisted in ICE’s Unaccompanied Alien Children (UAC) Safety Verification Initiative, conducting welfare checks on several unaccompanied immigrant minors living in Lancaster County. Each child was confirmed to be living safely with an adult sponsor, enrolled in school, and showed no signs of trafficking or abuse.
Information gathered during the checks was submitted to ICE and the U.S. Office of Refugee Resettlement to help locate and verify the safety of minors previously unaccounted for.
Addressing misinformation and courthouse arrests
Adams also addressed incidents in which local groups mistakenly identified routine law enforcement operations as ICE activity. She warned that misidentifying such operations could jeopardize victim safety and public order. “We support the right for everyone to peacefully protest,” she said, “but anyone who interferes with or obstructs law enforcement will be held accountable.”
The DA’s Office confirmed that, on occasion, it has assisted ICE in arresting defendants at the conclusion of unrelated criminal proceedings inside the Lancaster County Courthouse. These individuals already faced criminal charges locally and had final federal removal orders.
Adams noted that the office has not yet sought reimbursement for participation under the 287(g) Program but plans to do so in the future.